New Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 vc or used Canon 70-200 f/2.8 is v1?

I am currently looking to upgrade from my 6 year old Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 non IS lens before youth football season starts. It will be paired with a 7DmkII.

Price wise, it seems like these two lenses can be gotten for roughly the same price. Should I get the Tamron new, (which has great reviews) or a much older used Canon series 1?

The Canon 70-200/f2.8 is II is a bit more than I wanted to spend.


TIA for the advice.

Surprising this question hasn't been answered yet. I would probably go for the Tamron VC on here but I picked the Canon f4 IS and 135/2 combo instead.

I know Talley has had experience with these so maybe he or some one else will see this and chime in with some actual first person experience.

I just purchased the Tamron a couple months ago. The Tamron has a 6-year US warranty. The used Canon will have no warranty. Tamron warranty service is fast. Given the performance of the Tamron, this would be a no-brainer for me.

Easy pick, I'd take the Tamron every time.

Used to have it and only sold it for lack of use.

Coming from a Sigma 70-200 2.8 Non OS you'll be flat out amazed at ANY of the new 70-200 offerings they are that much better. I've had amazing success with the Tamron 2.8 VC version on the 5D3/6D but "Good" results on crop cameras. I don't know if it's the smaller pixel pitch that demands stellar glass but the 70-200 2.8 MK2 worked much better on the 7D2 than the Tamron. The 7D demands great glass, HOWEVER, that doesn't mean the results were bad either. I'm just super picky.

During my sons baseball and buddies kids football last season I shot the 7D2 with 120-300 and the Tamron 70-200 2.8 VC mounted on the 5D3 and found it to be a great combo.

If I had to pick the V1 or the Tamron VC model I would recommend the Tamron. They also offer excellent customer service and if there is any issues a quick turn around too.

You may want to consider buying used from the classified section. They can be found For 1000 or less sometimes. I know member "flaker" has my old one for sale here: https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1462427

I still have the receipt when I purchased it too if you go that route I can FWD it to you (for warranty)

I don't have any of the lenses mentioned, but from past readings, I was under the impression that the Canon tracks better in sports than the Tamron.

Talley wrote in post #18097295
If I had to pick the V1 or the Tamron VC model I would recommend the Tamron. They also offer excellent customer service and if there is any issues a quick turn around too.

You may want to consider buying used from the classified section. They can be found For 1000 or less sometimes.

OP, figure in the value of the Tamron warranty to you. They are $1400 new, and the warranty is six years. That's $67 per year for manufacturer's warranty coverage compared to a used one for $1000 and no warranty. The warranty may not make a difference to you, but if it does...

FWIW, the Tamron gives me tack sharp images with ta 7DII.

I have been using the Canon mk I for several years and am very happy with it.

When I originally went to buy the lens I looked up every reference and review I could find, including comparisons vs. third-party lenses such as the Tamron. In the cases where they mentioned autofocus at all, the description read something like "Nearly as fast as the Canon" or "focuses/tracks almost as well as the Canon". I never saw a single review which said "autofocuses faster/better than the Canon". That was enough for me, because given that I shoot sports all the time, I did not want a lens which was "almost fast enough". Indeed, I've never been in a situation where I thought "this lens focuses too quickly/accurately". On the contrary, I'm always looking for a little bit of performance improvement and am about to borrow a mk II just to see if it's enough faster than my mk I to justify an upgrade, for myself. I've heard good things but haven't compared them.

That said, perhaps the Tamron would be entirely good enough for most people and I don't want to criticize it because I've never used it. But that's where I'm coming from.

pknight wrote in post #18098063
OP, figure in the value of the Tamron warranty to you. They are $1400 new, and the warranty is six years. That's $67 per year for manufacturer's warranty coverage compared to a used one for $1000 and no warranty. The warranty may not make a difference to you, but if it does...

FWIW, the Tamron gives me tack sharp images with ta 7DII.

If he buys THAT lens I have the receipt so he still has warranty.

Talley wrote in post #18100026
If he buys THAT lens I have the receipt so he still has warranty.

Well...

Technically, it is an original-owner warranty. I had to have my warranty confirmation number, received when I registered the warranty with Tamron, to update the firmware in my 150-600 under warranty. I suspect that they checked the ownership information to verify that I was the registered owner. If you never registered the lens, then a receipt might work for the OP.

pknight wrote in post #18100141
Well...

Technically, it is an original-owner warranty. I had to have my warranty confirmation number, received when I registered the warranty with Tamron, to update the firmware in my 150-600 under warranty. I suspect that they checked the ownership information to verify that I was the registered owner. If you never registered the lens, then a receipt might work for the OP.

I never registered it.

Talley wrote in post #18100194
I never registered it.

I guess, on the off chance that the OP were to purchase the lens, and then ask you for the receipt, it would come down to whether the warranty confirmation is truly required. Looking at my warranty paperwork, it sure seems to be.

pknight wrote in post #18100795
I guess, on the off chance that the OP were to purchase the lens, and then ask you for the receipt, it would come down to whether the warranty confirmation is truly required. Looking at my warranty paperwork, it sure seems to be.

Sigma and Paul C Buff are the same... anytime I've warrantied used I told them the original purchaser was my uncle and he bought it or me as a gift. Case closed works every time.

Talley wrote in post #18101004
Sigma and Paul C Buff are the same... anytime I've warrantied used I told them the original purchaser was my uncle and he bought it or me as a gift. Case closed works every time.

I guess that's all that matters.

I've had the Canon 70-200 f4L, f2.8 IS II and now the Tamron. The Canon f2.8 IS II is definitely better all around but the Tamron is pretty damn close if not better in some cases and most importantly for half the price. You can cover the entire range with 24-70 and 70-200 on the Tamron side for the same price as the Canon 70-200 IS II. I don't think I plan on getting the Canon again unless I have an extra Thousand dollars laying around. It's just as good. Very underrated lens.