I will be comparing the Tamron 10-24 vs Pentax 12-24 wide angle lens on this post.
You can see the Tamron here: Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II
I used my friend’s Pentax K-7
Since they don’t have the exact focal range, I will be comparing them from 12-24mm.
Let’s get the Tamron 10-24 vs Pentax 12-24 started.
Before we start, I will need to tell you my lens preference, since the final result in this comparison will be based on it (NOTE: Skip this part if you’ve read it before). I will list my most important preference in descending order (no. 1 is the most important, no. 2 is the 2nd most important, and so on…). I’m more of a landscape/nature photographer and here’s what I want a lens to be:
- Has excellent optics (sharp, low distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration)
- Wide
- Lightweight and small
- Image Stabilized
- Inexpensive
- Fast Autofocus
- Metal build quality
Note that my preference will be different from yours. For example, if you are a sport shooter, you might put “Fast Autofocus” as your first priority and “Telephoto” as your second one. Or if you’re just starting out, you might put “Inexpensive” as number 1 and “Excellent Optics” as number 2. See what I mean?
If you have pretty much the same preference as me, that’s awesome. The winner of this comparison is the lens that I’d recommend you to get.
However, for those of you who has different preference, I’d highly recommend you come up with YOUR OWN preference list. Just pick a blank piece of paper and rearrange the list above according to your preference. This way, you can pick the lens that best suits YOUR personal photography needs, not mine.
Let’s get started and see who’s the real winner.
Specs Comparison • Optics Comparison • Build Comparison • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Tamron 10-24 vs Pentax 12-24 – Specs Comparison
Back to: Menu • Introduction
| Specs / Lens | Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II | Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA |
| Groups / Elements | 9 / 12 | 11 / 13 |
| Angle of View | 108°-60° | 99°-61° |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 | 8 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.24m (9.4″) | 0.3m (12″) |
| Filter Thread | 77mm | 77mm |
| Weight | 406g (14.3oz.) | 430g (15.2 oz.) |
| Dimension (Dia. x Length) | ø83.2 x 86.5mm (3.1in x 3.9in) | ø83.5 x 87.5mm (3.3 x 3.4″) |
| Street Price (2010) | USD $499 | USD $699 |
The Tamron wins on: Price, wider angle of view.
The Pentax wins on: Optical design and mechanics.
Specs Winner: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Optics Comparison
Back to: Menu • Introduction
How to Read the Comparison Table
It’s very easy. Let me give you an example. Suppose you see this table:
Center Sharpness Comparison Table
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 |
| 17mm | T | P | - |
First, look at the title. We’re comparing the Center Sharpness between the two lenses.
Then look at the focal length, let’s say 17mm, and then the aperture, let’s say f/2.8. Then look at the value that correspond to both, in this case: “T”.
” T ” stands for Tamron. This means that at 17mm at f/2.8, the Tamron is better than Pentax.
” P ” stands for Pentax. If you see this, then that means at that focal length and aperture, the Pentax is better than the Tamron. Referring to the table above, on 17mm at f/4, the Pentax is better than Tamron.
” – ” means draw. When you see this, both the Tamron and the Pentax are equally good at that focal length and aperture. Referring back to the table above, on 17mm and f/5.6, both the Pentax and the Tamron are equally good.
Pretty easy and straightforward right? Let’s go on.
Tamron 10-24 vs Pentax 12-24 – Sharpness Comparison
Center Sharpness Comparison Table
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 12mm | P | - | - | - |
| 18mm | P | - | - | - |
| 24mm | - | - | - | - |
WINNER: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Border Sharpness Comparison Table
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 12mm | P | - | - | - |
| 18mm | P | - | - | - |
| 24mm | - | - | - | - |
WINNER: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Distortion Comparison
Distortion Comparison Table
| Focal Length | Winner |
| 12mm | - |
| 18mm | P |
| 24mm | P |
WINNER: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Vignetting Comparison
Vignetting Comparison Table
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 12mm | - | - | - | P |
| 18mm | - | - | P | - |
| 24mm | - | - | - | - |
WINNER: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Chromatic Aberration Comparison
Chromatic Aberration Comparison Table
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 12mm | - | - | - | - |
| 18mm | T | T | - | - |
| 24mm | - | T | - | - |
WINNER: Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II
Build Comparison
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials Comparison
Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II: High quality plastics.
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA: High grade plastics, slightly better than the Tamron.
WINNER: Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Zoom Ring Comparison
Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II: Smooth and responsive.
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA: Smooth and responsive.
WINNER: None. Both zoom mechanics are great.
Autofocus Comparison
Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II: Quick and accurate. Front element doesn’t rotate, so using a polarizing filter is not a problem.
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA: Quick and accurate. Front element doesn’t rotate, so using a polarizing filter is not a problem.
WINNER: None. Both doesn’t have any extra advantage in terms of focusing speed or accuracy.
Image Stabilization Comparison
Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II: None
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA: None
WINNER: None. Both does not have image stabilization.
Compatibility Comparison
Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II: Only compatible with Pentax cropped sensor camera.
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA: Only compatible with Pentax cropped sensor camera.
WINNER: None.
Conclusion
Back to: Menu • Introduction
To recap, let’s summarize our findings so far.
The Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II won on:
- Price
- Better chromatic aberration control
Total: 2 Points
The Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA won on:
- Optical design
- Sharpness (Center and Border)
- Distortion control
- Vignetting control
- Build quality
Total: 5 Points
Final Thoughts:
The Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA is a better lens compared to the Tamron. It’s a bit weak in terms of chromatic aberration control. However, it’s sharp, has less distortion and has better vignetting control.
For the extra money, it’s well worth it.
OVERALL WINNER
Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA
Support this site, buy the Pentax 12-24mm f/4 DA from Amazon
If you want to buy the Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II for Pentax instead (not recommended), you can do so by using these links: Amazon
That’s the end of this Tamron 10-24 vs Pentax 12-24 comparison, hope you’ll be able to make the correct buying decision now.
Help Me Help You
Like this site? Want to keep reading for free? Want to see more good reviews and helpful articles coming? You can help me for FREE!
It's extremely fast and easy. Here's how - Start your online shopping by clicking any of these links: Amazon
How will this help me? When you buy your lenses or anything else from them, I got a tiny fraction of the sales which I will use for paying the maintenance cost of this site. They will also lend me more lenses to review if I hit a certain sales target. The price you pay for any item from those sites is always the same whether you use the above links or not. The only difference when you use the links is that you help me keep this site fresh, alive and FREE for you and for all readers. So, it's a win-win situation for all of us. You, me, everyone.
Please note that I always put you, my readers, as a first priority. Although I sometimes those vendors lend me lenses to review, I am always unbiased in my review. "I will be brutally honest with every review. Don't expect me to always write good stuff about the lens." That's what I told my vendors. And thankfully, they're fine with it.
Finally, you're not planning to shop, but have some extra cash to give out, consider making a small, $5 donation by clicking the "Donate" button below. This can also help paying off the maintenance cost of this site.
I hope to keep serving and helping you with your photography needs.
Many thanks for your support and thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Luke Darma
P.S: Stay in touch with me on Facebook and Twitter (you can add me as a friend):
Luke Darma | Create Your Badge
|
