Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 Review
From the very first time I got my hands on it at a local store in Japan, I was simply amazed by the pure sharpness it produces. If I were to see the photos it produces without knowing which lens produces it before-hand, I could have sworn that it was delivered by Nikon’s higher end glasses. Even more to my shock was that, this lens is super cheap to be producing this kind of quality photos. At a retail price of only RM1198 as compared to the Nikkor which is priced at a whopping RM5050, you realy can’t go wrong with the Tamron.
Shortly after testing it out, I bought a copy of the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 online. Tamron also makes them for Canon.
And believe me guys, don’t bother buying the newer version of this lens which has Vibration Compensation or VC. Because, besides the VC version being a few hundred bucks more, there is no real need for the VC on a short telephoto zoom lens. If you apply the Rule of Thumb when metering, you know that your shutter speed must be the same, if not faster than the zoom range (e.g. 50mm <1/50th). Thus, if you can apply this rule, I’m sure your pictures won’t go blurry and you would not feel the need for VC.
Now let’s compare this lens with the more expensive Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8. Although the Nikkor has excellent build quality, it does not have significantly better image quality if compare to the Tamron. I’m saying this from first-hand experience. I have a mutual friend who own’s the Nikkor, and got the chance to try it out. My excitement soon vaporized as the image quality didn’t live up to my expectations. Not to say that its not a sharp lens, its just that it wasn’t significantly sharper than my Tamron. Heck, I dare even say that they both have the same image quality! So unless you want to pay a premium and get better build quality and bragging rights, I suggest you opt for the Tamron instead. Mind you, the Nikkor is also chunkier and heavier. Your wrists probably won’t welcome them either.
CONCLUSIONS
The Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 is the ultimate budget lens that every enthusiast, budget-conscious photographer must have in their camera bags. It is the best multipurpose lens, and I bet you'd have this lens at least 80% of the time attached to you camera rather than other lenses. The build quality is not exactly mind-blowing, but considering its price, you can't go wrong with it.
POSITIVES
Specifications | |
Optical construction | 16 elements in 13 groups inc. 2 hybrid aspherical elements, 1 LD (Low Dispersion) glass element, 1 XR (Extra Refractive) element |
Number of aperture blades | 7 (rounded) |
min. focus distance | 0.27m (max. magnification ratio ~1:4.5) |
Dimensions | 82x74mm |
Weight | 434g |
Filter size | 67mm (non-rotating) |
Hood | supplied, petal-shaped |
Other features | - |
CONCLUSIONS
The Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 is the ultimate budget lens that every enthusiast, budget-conscious photographer must have in their camera bags. It is the best multipurpose lens, and I bet you'd have this lens at least 80% of the time attached to you camera rather than other lenses. The build quality is not exactly mind-blowing, but considering its price, you can't go wrong with it.
POSITIVES
- A very sharp lens, even sharper than most primes at the optimal aperture (f/5.6)
- Convinient zoom range
- Lightweight, fast aperture lens
- Excellent value for money
DRAWBACKS
- A bit weak at 17mm f/2.8 (Due to Vignetting and Chromatic Aberration)
- No Image Stabilization
RATING
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See sample images taken using this equipment HERE
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