It wasn’t long ago that prime lenses with excellent optics, fast autofocus motors and weather sealing would set you back a pretty penny; now, you can get incredible prime lenses with these features for less than $300.
Tamron has upped the ante when it comes to lenses that use Sony’s E mount. No matter which Tamron lenses you buy, you know you will get top-quality optics, outstanding performance, and durability. What’s impressive is that Tamron extended these qualities into their ultra-affordable f/2.8 prime lenses. The Tamron 20mm, 24mm and 35mm f/2.8 Di II OSD.
These three lenses, which can all be had for well under $300, should be considered must-haves for photographers who want solid lenses that won’t break the bank.
These Tamron prime lenses will fight off Mother Nature thanks to their weather sealing. In addition, they all help produce outstanding images thanks to the optics that Tamron has used, and the autofocus motors work perfectly with all of Sony’s advanced autofocus features. In this roundup, we’ll look at what each lens is good for and what you can expect from them when you’re out in the field.
Editors note: This is a sponsored Tamron post. However, all of the views on the lenses listed below are our own. We have not been told what to say and have freely chosen lenses to highlight. We tell you this upfront as we always want to be honest with our readers.
Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD — For landscapes, cityscapes, architecture and astrophotography
The Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD should be considered a must-have lens for Sony landscape, cityscape, and astrophotographers. This small Tamron prime that costs just $249 offers incredible value. Like many Tamron prime lenses, the 20mmm f/2.8 features a body made from tough composites and weather sealing. This is unheard of in lenses at this price point. The ruggedness of this lens is what makes this an ideal lens for landscapes, cityscapes and being outside on cold nights.
The optics in the 20mm f/2.8 Di II OSD are fantastic. The images you create will be tack sharp, and they will have beautiful color rendering. Distortions are well controlled as well. In addition, the lens is a snappy performer when it comes to autofocusing and is just as great to use manually too. So if you want a fast, weather-sealed wide-angle prime that won’t break the bank and still offers excellent performance, this could be the lens for you.
Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD — For environmental portraits, street photography and more
The 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD is another lens that Sony photographers on a budget should not overlook. Like its 20mm brother, the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD performs well above its price point of $199. On top of the excellent optics used in this lens, you’ll find that autofocus is rapid. This makes the lens ideal to take with you on street photography trips. So, If you like street photography or capturing street candids, this could be the lens for you. In addition, this focal length is perfect for those who want to make environmental portraits as well.
The lens works perfectly with all of the outstanding Sony real-time autofocus features like Eye-AF. Like the other Tamron primes in the OSD series, the 24mm f/2.8 is also weather-sealed. So, this lens will be fine if you like to hit the streets when it’s raining, snowing or when the wind is blowing.
35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD — The perfect everyday carry lens
35mm primes are perhaps the most versatile of all prime lenses. However, these popular lenses aren’t always affordable. This is where the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD comes into play. For under $200, you can get a weather-sealed 35mm prime lens that will help you create sharp images with minimal distortion, gorgeous colors, and nice bokeh.
The Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD is suited to many genres of photography. These genres include portraiture, event photography, street photography, photojournalism, documentary photography and more. Thanks to its natural field of view, this lens will help make any subject look pleasing. In addition, the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD features outstanding weather sealing, blazing-fast autofocus motors and tough composite materials that make it last many years. So if you’re on the hunt for one lens that can do it all and then some, check out this outstanding 35mm prime lens.
What? The autofocus is ok for landscapes, but if you want to shoot moving objects, forget it. It’s slow and it’s hunting. The autofocus in the 28-75 G2 is way better… The one real selling point for these primes (besides the price) isn’t even mentioned in the article: The 1:2 magnification. And they’re lightweight, and all of them share the 67mm filter thread. Same as my Sony 85mm f/1.8. That’s why I thought that the 35mm could be a good option for my street photography. But it isn’t, the bad autofocus makes it almost unusable. These could be killer lenses… Read more »
Must be something wrong with your copy, loving my 20mm.
Sony, Sony… Always Sony…Tamron and Sigma should know that there are other cameras like Nikon to make other lens…
Well seeing that Nikon and Canon haven’t opened up their technologies to third parties for their mirrorless cameras … Tamron and Sigma are kind of stuck! That’s why they’re developing for E mount and Fuji X mount (Tamron), while Sigma is focused on E mount and L mount.