Tamron Prime or Tamron Zoom?

Choosing a new lens is a big decision. Quality optics aren't cheap and so you need to make sure that the lens you choose to buy is the best choice for your photos. One of the main decision, time and time again, is whether to go for a prime lens or a telephoto lens. As these are two areas which Tamron lenses excel in, here's a quick guide to help point you towards your next lens.

What will you be photographing?

When choosing a new lens one of the first questions you should ask is what you intend to photograph. This can help you choose a lens. For example, if portraits are your passion, then the SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD will be an ideal choice. If you don't have a specific subject, such as landscapes or macros, that you're going to focus in on then a zoom lens will be more versatile for a wide variety of subjects.

Will you be walking long distances with your kit? 

If you are the adventurous type and will be taking your camera on long walks in the countryside or the city, then the weight of what you carry will be a factor. If you're going to opt for prime lenses you'll need to bear in mind that to achieve different focal lengths you'll have to take along a few lenses. This is going to make your bag bulky and add more weight. 

If weight and bulk is an issue then a compact telephoto lens like the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 will be the obvious choice to get a wide variety of focal lengths without the bulk.  

Are wide open apertures and bokeh a deciding factor?

While telephoto lenses are great for versatility and reducing the amount you have to carry, they're not perfect and one of their downfalls is that they're not as bright as their prime counterparts. Primes can often have wider max apertures, letting more light in and providing a shallower depth of field, because their internal lens structure is less complex than that of a telephoto lens, which has to have moving internal elements to achieve zoom. 

For wider variety in bokeh and the ability to let in max light, a prime lens will be the better choice.

Will you be able to get close to all the subjects you want to shoot?

As mentioned earlier, although prime lenses can be brighter than telephoto lenses, they have no zoom ability and so to get close to things, you'll have to physically move closer to them. If this is possible, great, got for it. But there might be things that you can't get so close to and your shots will be too wide. 

This is where a telephoto lens comes in and it has to be said that Tamron produces one of the best lenses on the market for maximum reach - the Tamron SP 150-600 f/5-6.3. This lens is sure to help you to get closer to far away subjects. 

Are you happy with changing lenses on the go?

If you shoot on the go with prime lenses and change lens during shoot, are you happy doing so? Sometimes the environment for changing lenses is not ideal. It could be raining, there could be sand or dirt being whipped around in the air. This can lead to marks on the camera's sensor, which isn't good. 

The way to get around this is to get creative and shoot only with a single prime lens or to opt for a zoom lens to give you versatility without having to change lenses. 

In the end, the choice is up to you but hopefully, these questions will help you decide whether a prime or telephoto lens is best for you.