Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm

Sony
58 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

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm

72 out of 100 high confidence 107 reviews

The Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens is widely praised as an excellent value for money, offering surprisingly sharp images, silent autofocus, and a compact, lightweight build. Many users find it more than adequate for everyday photography, especially when stopped down, though it struggles in low light and exhibits softness at the wide end. A recurring complaint is significant flare and washed-out colors in bright conditions, and some feel it doesn't fully exploit the camera's sensor. Overall, it's seen as a great starter or travel lens, but not a replacement for higher-end optics.

Pros
  • Excellent value for money
  • Surprisingly sharp image quality
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Silent and fast autofocus
  • Dust and moisture resistant
Cons
  • Soft corners at 28mm wide end
  • Significant flare in bright light
  • Washed-out colors in sunlight
  • Slow aperture limits low-light use
  • Not sharp enough for high-res sensors
👍 Value for money 18
🤔 Image quality 25
👍 Build quality 12
👎 Low light performance 8
👎 Flare and glare 6
👍 Autofocus performance 10

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
Sony
67
Tamron
95
Macro
Sony
52
Tamron
91
Travel
Sony
88
Tamron
81
Portrait
Sony
41
Tamron
87
Landscape
Sony
75
Tamron
86
Wildlife Sports
Sony
66
Tamron
85
Professional
Sony
55
Tamron
84
Video Cinema
Sony
52
Tamron
81
Street
Sony
60
Tamron
81

Specifications

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mmTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min28 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max70 mm300 mm
Elements920
Groups813
Aspherical Elements33
ED Elements12★
CoatingMulti-Layered Coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperture22-36★f/4
Min Aperture3.5-5.64-7.1
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony ESony E
Formatfull-framefull-frame
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread55 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeLinear Autofocus MotorVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance300 mm190 mm★
Max Magnification0.19x1:2.8★

Pros & Cons

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm

  • Strong build (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong social proof (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong versatility (77th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)

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

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

Pricing

Both products are similarly priced.

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm0.213score per dollar
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD0.357score per dollar

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD offers 1.7x better value for money

Verdict

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

Scores 100 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

Sony FE SEL2870 28-70mm Better at:

Travel

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

MacroBudgetStreetPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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