Choosing an all-in-one zoom for a Sony full frame body is a big commitment, because that lens often lives on the camera for trips, family events, and everyday shooting. This video looks at three very different takes on the 20-200mm class and digs into which one is right for you.
Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this concise video compares the Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG DN Contemporary to Tamron’s two travel zooms and explains where the numbers on paper start to crack in real use. Abbott starts with price and sets expectations quickly: the older Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD sits around $800, the new Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 around $899, and the Sigma lands near $999. The Sigma earns attention by starting at 20mm and still reaching 200mm with a 10x zoom range, plus a genuinely useful 1:2 magnification that you can hit across a big chunk of the zoom span. At the same time, Abbott walks you through why that wide start comes with heavy distortion, thick vignette at 20mm, and a slower aperture curve that is already at f/5.6 by 51mm, which is a real factor if you shoot indoors or at dusk. You also see where the Sigma still shines, with its HLA focus motor, AF/MF switch, and close-up flexibility that can make it appealing if width and framing options are the top priority.
Abbott then shifts to the new Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2, which tries to live in the middle ground between the older Tamron and the Sigma. You see how Tamron pushes a bit wider than 28mm without wrecking the optics, with far cleaner, more linear barrel distortion that corrects easily compared to the Sigma’s complex profile. Abbott points out that the G2 is brighter on average than the Sigma across the zoom range and pairs that with stronger weather-sealing and a more robust build that includes around 11 sealing points. He also spends time on control customization through the USB-C port, custom button, and re-assignable focus ring, which lets you tailor the lens to how you actually shoot instead of living with a fixed control layout. The video shows why he rates its autofocus highly for tracking action and why he prefers its bokeh and flare resistance, but he also calls out marketing claims around the quoted 1:2 magnification at minimum distance and shows a more realistic way to use its close-up potential.
The older Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD gets a careful look rather than a quick dismissal. Abbott is clear that it is likely to be phased out in new stock, but that matters less if you are open to buying used and want to keep your costs down. He highlights that it is still the brightest of the three lenses across much of the range, staying away from f/5.6 until around 147mm, which can help keep ISO in check in real-world light. The trade is obvious: 28mm simply is not as wide as 25mm and nowhere near 20 mm, so in tight interiors, you will sometimes back up, hit a wall, and still not fit everything in. In the video, you see how he balances that narrower field of view against the strong optics, acceptable but older stepping motor autofocus, and the realistic expectation that this lens will be plentiful and cheaper on the used market for a while.
Abbott does share which of the three he would personally buy today and why, but a lot of the nuance comes from seeing his side-by-side framing examples, the distortion and vignette behavior at the wide end, and how each lens handles close-up work and autofocus in motion. If you are trying to decide whether maximum width, brightness, price, or overall balance matters most, watching him move through real images and charts will give you a clearer sense of which compromise actually fits the way you shoot rather than just the spec sheet. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Abbott.