Lens Reviews

Last month, portrait photographer Anita Sadowska conducted a lens shootout pitting the Canon 35mm F/1.4 vs the Sigma 35mm F/1.4 vs the Tamron 35mm F/1.4. The comparison test went down to the wire with the Tamron doing well considering its affordable price and the Canon succeeding for overall image quality.

So…consider it a draw? As a follow-up, Sadowska recently stacked the Canon against the Tamron in a head-to-head prime lens battle to find a true winner. In the below video, you can see her testing and results.

For the shootout, Sadowska captured images of model Chole while focusing on speed tests, low light shooting and sharpness comparisons for the two lenses.

"As you saw in my previous video, I was kind of leaning towards getting the Tamron over all the other lenses because of its price and how well it's built and how well it takes photos," Sadowska says. "So, we're going to put it into the ultimate test of Canon vs Tamron and see which one I prefer more."

Pricing and Color
"First and foremost, the most drastic difference is their price point. The Tamron is around $900 while the Canon is around $1700. Is it worth paying this much more money for the Canon? Why is it so much more expensive? Another thing people were talking about was the color difference in between the lenses but, to be fair, I tested them both out side by side and I didn't really see anything drastic enough for me to mention."

Focus Test
"I definitely noticed when taking photos with the Canon lens, there's an ease of focusing that neither Tamron nor Sigma has. I feel like it's very seamless, for sure, but at the same time it's the most expensive lens and I find it hard to justify paying this much more money for a lens that is just a tiny bit better."

Video Test
"In terms of video both lenses are performing really well. I don't see any difference really. I have to say I'm pretty happy with both of them perform. There isn't really any issue."

Conclusion
"I think I am a bit of a snob when it comes to brands; I won't lie. I don't really buy a lot of equipment so when I do I want to make sure that it lasts. So, when I first tested out the Canon vs Tamron, I was pretty sure that I was going to love the Canon and hate the Tamron. But this is not the case at all. If I was ever in the market for a 35mm lens, I would probably go for the Tamron instead of the Canon, because I feel like, with the Canon, it's just paying for the brand. But if you have the money, treat yourself. For most people though who are on a budget and are trying to save some cash, I feel like going for a Tamron would be a great option because it performs super well, the design is really beautiful and sleek and, all in all, I was just really impressed with how the lens handled everything."

Watch the video below to see all of her tests and sample photos. Then go hop over to her channel to check out her other content...you won't regret it!