February 12th, 2020 Update: Adobe has released a profile for this (and other Tamron lenses), which radically helps with processing RAW files! The lens still has a lot of distortion, but having effective profile aids helps ease the sting.
Dustin Abbott How much does Lens profile help with distortion? I’ve got to say I would have some uses for small 20mm focal length with that focusing distance.
Your reviews are just perfect. There is nothing left unanswered, it is done from a real world perspective and includes all relevant comparable lenses as well. It doesn't even feel long. Thank you very much for all your work!
Thomas Breithaupt That is the contrary.. In case of barrel distorsion the lens captures a field which is wider than the normal one . This lens should capture the field of a 18/17 mm . After correction you loose the excess of information that the lens captured .
@@DustinAbbottTWI Which means , once corrected the field of this lens is the same as the zoom at 20mm. Many people , and I was one of them, do not understand that the barrel distortion compressed a larger field in the frame. Once corrected you have got the field corresponding to the focal length.
Dear Dustin, the correction profile is already out for Lightroom CC. Got the lens yesterday, so still testing it. Inside a shopping center, it seems mixed focus sharpness. Outside at 3pm onwards it seems to be great.
Unless you need the higher magnification, I would probably go with the Samyang. It's not quite as sharp, but very sharp stopped down, has lower distortion, and better AF.
Excellent review, specifically very happy to find some direct comparisons with the 17-28 zoom. The only complication with the choice today is that the 20, 24 and 35mm are all selling below even their $349 msrp.
Thanks for this comprehensive review, Dustin- you just saved me some $$$. I had been considering this lens, in particular, but as I do own the 17-28 zoom you have convinced me to skip it. Ha, I can put the money saved toward the Tamron 70-180 f2.8 when it is released later this year ( as long as it matches the quality of the other two Tamron FE zooms.) Great review, as always!
Such a great review channel. Simply presents all of the information anyone could be looking for. This lens is so good for the price. The One significant flaw is mostly correctable in post. On a budget, this one is worth a look.
You are the best! Thorough and unbiased review. Been waiting for this video to make a decision. I will get the Samyang 18mm 2.8 and 45mm 1.8 as my light-weight travel kit. In my opinion, Tamron hasn't really released a "bad" lens for some time, but the distortion on this one is not bearable to me. Thank you so much!
@@DustinAbbottTWI interesting that Sony is announcing a FE 20mm 1.8G. The wide angle FE lens space is heating up. really enjoyed using the FE 35mm and 85mm 1.8G. Hopefully Sony won't price it too aggressively
The Tamron is sharper, yes, but I would personally go with the Samyang unless you need the magnification. They are both sharp at smaller apertures. I like the Samyang’s focus and lower distortion.
between the samyang 18mm f2.8 and this tamron 20mm f2.8, what would your personally choose if the general use is photography? and how about if videography is the general use? (if just the two of them is the option) Thank you for your personal opinion if ever you can reply...
Hi Dustin, thanks for this expert review. This suits my needs but for the major flaw you so eminently brought out. Is the barrel distortion likely to be corrected by a firmware update? Assuming it does, is Tamron usually forthcoming with firmware updates?
The in-camera corrections are stored in the RAW file. Capture One lets me choose which of those to include when it imports. Maybe Lightroom has a similar function?
I've tested it in Capture One (20), and that's not the case...or at least until the software updates to include newer profiles. Fortunately Adobe did release those updates today.
Great review Dustin! Debating selling off the Rokinon 18mm that I have to get this just so I have the same filter thread. I also hate how light the Rokinon is I want something a little heavier. *edit* that distortion is terrible though
Thanks for the very thorough review. I'm curious about the coma comparison between this lens and the 24mm and the 17-28. You briefly touch on it but offer no comps. Also which FE lense would you consider the most coma free? Thanks again.
Hi Mark - yes, there is limited time for comparisons in these reviews (it's already a half hour long as it is!!). They deliver a roughly equal coma performance - good, but not exceptional. The Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 is one of the better astro lenses on Sony.
Thank your for your awesome reviews. Based on your information I have narrowed it down to 2 lenses. This Tamron 20mm 2.8 and the Samyang 18mm 2.8, I mainly need it for real estate and architecture photography. Being that both these lenses are around the same price. Which would you recommend? My Camera is a Sony A7 s2
I just bought the samyang 18mm f 2.8 for a cool 300usd the afc is so loud can’t use an external mic attached to the shoe mount. Aside from that I love it! 10:14 not as loud but it seems like it ruins the audio
Dustin Abbott really, I was reading forums online of other folks complaining and since I watched another review of the 20mm being just as loud I figured they were all loud. But if it’s is silent maybe it’s a quality control. I’ll go to B&H today and try another one out
Another great, balanced review. The profusion of e mount lens continues to argue well for choosing Sony. Though this lens may actually be closer to the 24 once distortion is corrected. How is the closeup iq of the 17-28? I know you are not a Nikon shooter but have you heard anything about third party companies releasing Z mount lenses anytime soon?
Hi Larry - I would say the estimate is closer to 21.5-22mm, not 24mm. The closeup IQ of the 17-28 is good, though not as good as these "macro" primes. Thus far none of my contacts in these third party companies have made any noises about Z-mount. It seems like they are taking a "wait-and-see" view to how well they establish themselves. At the same time, however, I think that most of these "made-for-mirrorless" lenses can be fairly easily retooled for other mounts.
Hi Dustin, thanks so much for the really insightful review. I was wondering if you think this lens could somewhat replace my 25m F2 Zeiss Batis hooked up to an A7Rii? (I need to raise some funds and this looks pretty good for the price point) I rarely shoot wide open, except for milky way and low light shots. Do you think this is a viable option? Cheers mate.
I’m looking for a wide angle lens for real estate photography. In your opinion would you recommend the Samyang 18 or Tamron 20. I do have the Tamron 17-28.
If it weren't for the two zoom lenses, I think most people would have disregarded Tamron as a third rate manufacturer. Sigma have released a gigantic F1,2, and Samyang has released a bunch of F1,4 primes. And Tamron is left with their F2,8 primes. Luckily they do have those two zoom lenses, so we do know they are somewhat serious about their mirrorless lineup.
I don't think releasing lenses with smaller aperture values shows less "seriousness". There's always a need for less expensive, smaller options for any system. I suspect the larger aperture lenses will come as they expand their lineup, though I think they would be wise to take some extra time and develop them so that they can be released across Sony, Canon, and Nikon mirrorless platforms. BTW - their two zoom lenses have probably outsold just about all the other third party lenses put together thus far!
Probably the Samyang. This lens is a bit sharper, and I like the magnification, but I find the distortion pretty brutal. If you are a JPEG shooter, however, this one is fine.
Hi, i wonder your opinion between this lens and Samyang 18 f2.8. I have Sammy 35 &75 1.8 cousins, is there any significant color reproduction differences between brands ?
This is a rare example of a company competing with itself and losing. I was expecting the Tamron 20mm to crush the Samyang on every metric. Instead it seems Samyang 18mm remains the better choice, especially considering price and weight. This lens is going to be a tough sell for Tamron considering that both the 24mm and 17-28mm seems to be better choices.
Well, the Tamron is sharper, has more consistent color, and has more contrast...and adds weather sealing and macro capabilities. The Samyang has quieter focus, less distortion, and is more compact. But I agree that the 17-28mm has survived the competition with these primes and has come out looking pretty good.
At the moment this is the best cost effective and lightweight 20mm option for Sony. The Sony f1.8 g is to exspensive and to large the sigma DG dn f2.0 is to heavy to ugly and over engineered .What we need is a g master compact lightweight f2.8 full frame 20mm f2.8.
Hmmm, the Sony is 20mm longer and 150g heavier...but is also a stop and a third brighter. It's not exactly a huge lens. I do like this Tamron other than the heavy distortion and subpar autofocus motor.
February 12th, 2020 Update: Adobe has released a profile for this (and other Tamron lenses), which radically helps with processing RAW files! The lens still has a lot of distortion, but having effective profile aids helps ease the sting.
Dustin Abbott How much does Lens profile help with distortion? I’ve got to say I would have some uses for small 20mm focal length with that focusing distance.
If you look at the text review, I've added some examples.
Hey Dustin, how can I download the lens profile?
is this tam 20mm ok for real estate...?
Your reviews are just perfect. There is nothing left unanswered, it is done from a real world perspective and includes all relevant comparable lenses as well. It doesn't even feel long. Thank you very much for all your work!
That's really great feedback. Thank you.
Dustin, you’re the man. Your vids are thorough and palatable. Kudos, my good man, kudos
Thank you :)
Great review like always. Wow I see that you have some a note of 100 Greek Drachmas... I thought I would never see those again!
That's an older bill, for sure. I think I got it when I was a kid.
Great video..! Why did you mount the microphone upside down?
Doing so eliminates harsh "s" or "p" sounds and delivers more even audio.
Thanks for yet another great review. I will keep my Samyang 18mm and considder buying the Tamron 24mm for its closeup quality
That's reasonable.
Darn. The Tamron 20mm translates more to a "22mm" practical result after barrel correction making it a tough rationalization over the 24mm unit.
There's some truth to that. It's still a very useful focal length, but not quite as wide as some would like.
Thomas Breithaupt That is the contrary.. In case of barrel distorsion the lens captures a field which is wider than the normal one . This lens should capture the field of a 18/17 mm . After correction you loose the excess of information that the lens captured .
Dustin Abbott read my answer and control if there is a difference of field in your comparison with the zoom or any 20mm.
I'm pretty sure I did that while framing my test target. What is true is that the viewfinder shows the corrected result based on the profile.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Which means , once corrected the field of this lens is the same as the zoom at 20mm.
Many people , and I was one of them, do not understand that the barrel distortion compressed a larger field in the frame.
Once corrected you have got the field corresponding to the focal length.
Dear Dustin, the correction profile is already out for Lightroom CC. Got the lens yesterday, so still testing it. Inside a shopping center, it seems mixed focus sharpness. Outside at 3pm onwards it seems to be great.
That's correct. It actually released the day I released the review.
great review. I am currently contemplating which one should i buy between this and the samyang 18mm, for photography and video as well.
Unless you need the higher magnification, I would probably go with the Samyang. It's not quite as sharp, but very sharp stopped down, has lower distortion, and better AF.
Excellent review, specifically very happy to find some direct comparisons with the 17-28 zoom. The only complication with the choice today is that the 20, 24 and 35mm are all selling below even their $349 msrp.
That's true. It makes them an even better value.
Thanks for this comprehensive review, Dustin- you just saved me some $$$. I had been considering this lens, in particular, but as I do own the 17-28 zoom you have convinced me to skip it. Ha, I can put the money saved toward the Tamron 70-180 f2.8 when it is released later this year ( as long as it matches the quality of the other two Tamron FE zooms.) Great review, as always!
That's my hope (and working plan, at the moment!)
Jeeze, 30 minutes, need some popcorn for this 😄
It is the definitive version. The short version comes tomorrow.
Such a great review channel. Simply presents all of the information anyone could be looking for. This lens is so good for the price. The One significant flaw is mostly correctable in post. On a budget, this one is worth a look.
Glad it was helpful!
You are the best! Thorough and unbiased review. Been waiting for this video to make a decision. I will get the Samyang 18mm 2.8 and 45mm 1.8 as my light-weight travel kit. In my opinion, Tamron hasn't really released a "bad" lens for some time, but the distortion on this one is not bearable to me. Thank you so much!
I'm glad it helped out. I wouldn't characterize this as a "bad" lens, but it does have a more profound flaw than what I've come to expect from Tamron.
@@DustinAbbottTWI interesting that Sony is announcing a FE 20mm 1.8G. The wide angle FE lens space is heating up. really enjoyed using the FE 35mm and 85mm 1.8G. Hopefully Sony won't price it too aggressively
Dustin, would you recomend tamron 20 or samyang 18 that you reviewed earlier? Is the sharpness that much better on tamron?
The Tamron is sharper, yes, but I would personally go with the Samyang unless you need the magnification. They are both sharp at smaller apertures. I like the Samyang’s focus and lower distortion.
between the samyang 18mm f2.8 and this tamron 20mm f2.8, what would your personally choose if the general use is photography? and how about if videography is the general use? (if just the two of them is the option) Thank you for your personal opinion if ever you can reply...
For me, the Samyang is slightly more desirable, though the Tamron is actually the sharper lens and, of course, has the macro capabilities.
Hi Dustin, thanks for this expert review. This suits my needs but for the major flaw you so eminently brought out. Is the barrel distortion likely to be corrected by a firmware update? Assuming it does, is Tamron usually forthcoming with firmware updates?
Hi Sandeep, unfortunately optical flaws cannot be corrected via firmware.
The in-camera corrections are stored in the RAW file. Capture One lets me choose which of those to include when it imports. Maybe Lightroom has a similar function?
I've tested it in Capture One (20), and that's not the case...or at least until the software updates to include newer profiles. Fortunately Adobe did release those updates today.
Thank You Mr Abbott
You're welcome.
Great review Dustin! Debating selling off the Rokinon 18mm that I have to get this just so I have the same filter thread. I also hate how light the Rokinon is I want something a little heavier. *edit* that distortion is terrible though
If it weren't for that distortion, this lens would be awesome.
Is the barral distortion fixable in something like Apple photo's or Pixalmator or only LR?
I suspect in other software as well by this point, though I'm not familiar with either piece of software.
Thanks for the very thorough review. I'm curious about the coma comparison between this lens and the 24mm and the 17-28. You briefly touch on it but offer no comps. Also which FE lense would you consider the most coma free? Thanks again.
Hi Mark - yes, there is limited time for comparisons in these reviews (it's already a half hour long as it is!!). They deliver a roughly equal coma performance - good, but not exceptional. The Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 is one of the better astro lenses on Sony.
Thank your for your awesome reviews. Based on your information I have narrowed it down to 2 lenses. This Tamron 20mm 2.8 and the Samyang 18mm 2.8, I mainly need it for real estate and architecture photography. Being that both these lenses are around the same price. Which would you recommend? My Camera is a Sony A7 s2
I would recommend the Samyang. It's distortion is lower, and having a wider angle of view will be useful.
I just bought the samyang 18mm f 2.8 for a cool 300usd the afc is so loud can’t use an external mic attached to the shoe mount. Aside from that I love it!
10:14 not as loud but it seems like it ruins the audio
That doesn’t sound right. The 18mm that I’m using is virtually silent during video or AF-C recording.
Dustin Abbott really, I was reading forums online of other folks complaining and since I watched another review of the 20mm being just as loud I figured they were all loud. But if it’s is silent maybe it’s a quality control. I’ll go to B&H today and try another one out
Another great, balanced review. The profusion of e mount lens continues to argue well for choosing Sony. Though this lens may actually be closer to the 24 once distortion is corrected. How is the closeup iq of the 17-28? I know you are not a Nikon shooter but have you heard anything about third party companies releasing Z mount lenses anytime soon?
Hi Larry - I would say the estimate is closer to 21.5-22mm, not 24mm. The closeup IQ of the 17-28 is good, though not as good as these "macro" primes. Thus far none of my contacts in these third party companies have made any noises about Z-mount. It seems like they are taking a "wait-and-see" view to how well they establish themselves. At the same time, however, I think that most of these "made-for-mirrorless" lenses can be fairly easily retooled for other mounts.
I absolutely love this lens -- I can't believe it at its price. It easily beat the Sony 24mm f/2.8 in every area except focus speed.
It's a very sharp lens, for sure.
I think this lens would be much more interesting if it had a wider aperture(at least F2).
Agreed.
I dont think it would be because it would be a lot bigger, a lot heavier and a lot more expensive
Hi Dustin, thanks so much for the really insightful review. I was wondering if you think this lens could somewhat replace my 25m F2 Zeiss Batis hooked up to an A7Rii? (I need to raise some funds and this looks pretty good for the price point) I rarely shoot wide open, except for milky way and low light shots. Do you think this is a viable option? Cheers mate.
It's a viable option, though you might be disappointed by the amount of distortion and the poorer autofocus.
I’m looking for a wide angle lens for real estate photography. In your opinion would you recommend the Samyang 18 or Tamron 20. I do have the Tamron 17-28.
The Samyang because of having less distortion. The Sony 20mm F1.8 is better still if your budget goes that far.
If it weren't for the two zoom lenses, I think most people would have disregarded Tamron as a third rate manufacturer. Sigma have released a gigantic F1,2, and Samyang has released a bunch of F1,4 primes. And Tamron is left with their F2,8 primes. Luckily they do have those two zoom lenses, so we do know they are somewhat serious about their mirrorless lineup.
I don't think releasing lenses with smaller aperture values shows less "seriousness". There's always a need for less expensive, smaller options for any system. I suspect the larger aperture lenses will come as they expand their lineup, though I think they would be wise to take some extra time and develop them so that they can be released across Sony, Canon, and Nikon mirrorless platforms. BTW - their two zoom lenses have probably outsold just about all the other third party lenses put together thus far!
Did you try it on a APSC câmera like a6000 to a6600? Is it worth trying it?
I did shoot it in APS-C mode. That eliminates a bit of vignette and distortion, but not all.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks
Would you buy this or buy the samyang af 18mm f/2.8?
Probably the Samyang. This lens is a bit sharper, and I like the magnification, but I find the distortion pretty brutal. If you are a JPEG shooter, however, this one is fine.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks Dustin
Have you tried this lens with astrophotography? If so how was its performance?
That's in this review, actually, and you can also see my results in the text review.
@@DustinAbbottTWI yeah sorry didn't see it before posting the comment.
How do you think this lens would be for fitness videos
?
It should be fine for video - the distortion is corrected. The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 is probably a better choice for your purpose, though.
hi, which do you prefer? samyang 18mm 2.8 or tamron 20mm 2.8?
Samyang, I think. The Tamron is sharper and better made, but that distortion is a huge liability.
Is there a profile for this lens now, today?
Yes there is...and it helps.
This is an awesome review, thanks anyway.
You're welcome.
Hi, i wonder your opinion between this lens and Samyang 18 f2.8. I have Sammy 35 &75 1.8 cousins, is there any significant color reproduction differences between brands ?
Samyang glass tends to be very slightly warmer, but I don't think you would run into a radical difference.
please tell me samyang 18 or this 20? which is better for VIDEO and autofocus.
I would personally choose the Samyang 18.
@@DustinAbbottTWI All I care about is video..Buying A7iii. What should I buy? Please help 18 mm or 35 mm?
👍
hi can you review the sony fe 28 f2?
Maybe at some point, but I've got other Sony priorities first.
I'm trying to decide between this and the viltrox 20 1.8, which one would you recommend?
Are you referring to the manual focus Viltrox? I would probably prefer the Tamron simply for the autofocus.
@@DustinAbbottTWI yeah the mf one, it looks optically perfect but I'm not sure if the Tamron's af is good enough to compensate the quality difference.
I really just wish they would have made it as small as possible I don’t care about filters.
I understand. Tamron has prioritized keeping a constant filter size, but it is here where things are most compromised because of that decision.
@@DustinAbbottTWI probably good cost savings too. The 20, 24 and 35 all have the same dimensions it looks like
This is a rare example of a company competing with itself and losing. I was expecting the Tamron 20mm to crush the Samyang on every metric. Instead it seems Samyang 18mm remains the better choice, especially considering price and weight. This lens is going to be a tough sell for Tamron considering that both the 24mm and 17-28mm seems to be better choices.
Well, the Tamron is sharper, has more consistent color, and has more contrast...and adds weather sealing and macro capabilities. The Samyang has quieter focus, less distortion, and is more compact. But I agree that the 17-28mm has survived the competition with these primes and has come out looking pretty good.
At the moment this is the best cost effective and lightweight 20mm option for Sony. The Sony f1.8 g is to exspensive and to large the sigma DG dn f2.0 is to heavy to ugly and over engineered .What we need is a g master compact lightweight f2.8 full frame 20mm f2.8.
Hmmm, the Sony is 20mm longer and 150g heavier...but is also a stop and a third brighter. It's not exactly a huge lens. I do like this Tamron other than the heavy distortion and subpar autofocus motor.
1:47
He's a good cat!
Wouldn’t mind paying 50$ more in return for a proper focus motor...
100% agree.
please free the little dog, he is been suffering in the cold weather ! how can you sleep with this dog outside ?
LOL - the dog only goes outside for a few minutes. She's a house dog.