Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mm

Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mm

Pentax
35 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron
100 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mm

82 out of 100 medium confidence 19 reviews

The Pentax 50mm f/2.8 macro lens is widely praised for its sharpness, color reproduction, and value for money. Users find it excellent for macro work, general photography, and digitizing documents or artwork. Common criticisms include autofocus hunting in live view and a focus ring that rotates continuously, which some find unusual. Overall, it is considered a compact, high-quality lens that performs well above its price point.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Great color reproduction
  • Excellent value for money
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Versatile for macro and general use
Cons
  • Autofocus hunts in live view
  • Focus ring rotates continuously
  • Plastic barrel instead of metal
  • Narrow depth of field at wide aperture
  • Learning curve for close-up focusing
👍 Sharpness 8
👍 Value for money 6
👎 Autofocus performance 4
🤔 Build quality 4
👍 Color reproduction 3
👍 Versatility 3

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

92 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom wins praise for its lightweight design, versatile focal range, and solid image quality. Users appreciate the compact build and smooth zoom mechanism, but note the slow aperture and trade-offs in sharpness compared to more expensive zooms. Verified reviewers find it an ideal travel lens that pairs well with Sony bodies.

Pros
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile 28-300mm focal range
  • Smooth zoom ring operation
  • Compact build for travel
  • Good integration with Sony bodies
Cons
  • Small maximum aperture (f/4-7.1)
  • Reduced sharpness vs. premium zooms
  • Not an internal zoom lens
  • Slow autofocus at high fps on some bodies
👍 Build quality 3
🤔 Sharpness 3
👎 Aperture 2
👍 Weight and portability 3
👍 Zoom range 4
👎 Autofocus performance 1

Scores

Budget
Pentax
29
Tamron
97
Macro
Pentax
59
Tamron
92
Landscape
Pentax
30
Tamron
87
Wildlife Sports
Pentax
29
Tamron
85
Professional
Pentax
32
Tamron
85
Street
Pentax
35
Tamron
83
Portrait
Pentax
17
Tamron
82
Video Cinema
Pentax
29
Tamron
82
Travel
Pentax
34
Tamron
81

Specifications

Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mmTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Optics
Typemacrozoom
Focal Length Min50 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm300 mm
Elements820
Groups713
Aspherical Elements03★
ED Elements02★
Coatingsmcfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/32f/4
Min Aperturef/2.84-7.1
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades89★
Build
MountPentax KSony E
Formatfull-framefull-frame
Weather Sealed✗✓★
Weight0.26 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread49 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★190 mm
Max Magnification1:11:3.8

Pros & Cons

Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mm

  • Strong macro (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong build (79th percentile)
  • Below average aperture (5th percentile)5th %ile
  • Below average bokeh (5th percentile)5th %ile
  • Below average social proof (10th percentile)10th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile

Pricing

Pentax smc P-D FA smc DFA 50mm f/2.8 Macro 50mm

No current pricing available

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Scores 100 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 21 specs.

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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