Konika Minolta or Tamron?

[youpii]

Recently I saw a few 2nd hand KM zooms (17-35/2.8-4D & 28-70/2.8D) sold at the same price as brand new Tamron equivalents. Are the KM versions really better than Tamron?

[David Kilpatrick]

The Tamrons have zoom lock on the 28-75mm, and the basic lens is not changed - . The 17-35mm is rebuilt with a different focus mechanism and there is a good reason to go for the KM version instead of the Tamron, which is also now discontinued by Tamron anyway.

Comparing 28-75s:





You may see minor differences, but the glass is essentially the same and the mount is not changed.

Comparing 17-35mm:



You can see that the focus ring direction is changed to match other Sony/KM lenses. The focus is also very much smoother and quieter on this revised version.

David

[youpii]

Thanks for all that information. The Tamron 17-35 is still listed in price engines here.
I'm hesitating with the Minolta 20/2.8. Prices are similar. Both are easy to find (maybe because of the new ZA 16-35).

[PhotoTraveler]

The Tamron was basically discontinued when they brought the 2.8/17-50 out.

I have the KM version, I like it well enough, it does the job. And compared to the Tamron looks so much better (wish Tamron would stop making their lenses so ugly that KM, Sony, Pentax have to go and make good looking versions).

Depending on your lineup and use, the 2.8/20 might be the way to go. Also if the 28-75 is been rebadged again (not really brought back since it's a re-port from Tamron, not a port from KM), then there is a chance of the 2.8/17-50 showing up in Sony too.