Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] AF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] is a very serious performer capable to deliver some of the best MTF50 figures to date in this lens class. Vignetting and distortions are about average for a lens in this class. CAs are very high at 17mm and 24mm. Mechanically the lens isn’t top notch but it compares very well here to other third party lenses. AF accuracy could be a little better on the Nikon D200. Thanks to the very moderate price tag the lens is highly attractive and definitely worth a deeper look when shopping for a quality standard zoom lens for your APS-C DSLR and it’s also a very interesting alternative to the genuine Nikkor standard zooms. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

Other Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] AF Reviews

Photo Zone (Canon Mount Tested)

The Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] may have one of the funniest names around but the performance of the lens is serious at least regarding resolution where it was capable to deliver some of the best MTF50 figures to date. On the downside the very high field curvature at wide angle settings can be a problem in some situations (flat or very deep scenes at large aperture settings). Vignetting and distortions are about average for a lens in this class. CAs could be a little better at 17mm but otherwise the issue is quite well controlled. Mechanically the lens isn’t top notch but it compares very well here to other third party lenses. Thanks to the very moderate price tag the lens is highly attractive and definitely worth a deeper look when shopping for a quality standard zoom lens for your APS-C DSLR. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

Thom Hogan

For the price, the Tamron performs well, though not perfectly. The primary trait that stands out is the sharpness, which is quite good and in the arena of that Nikkor that costs more than twice as much. If you’re in the middle of this lens’ focal range most of the time, and at mid-range apertures, there’s very little to complain about. At the telephoto end, there’s little to complain about at any aperture. It’s that wide end that keeps this lens from being a five-star lens: the corners are going to be darker and softer than the center at any aperture, and have visible chromatic aberration in them if you’re shooting at wide apertures. That could be enough to put some off this otherwise fine lens. Considering the price differential between this and the Nikkor 17-55mm, there’s little tradeoff being made. Indeed, this lens is smaller and lighter than the Nikkor, yet except at 17mm, holds its own against that lens. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

SLR Gear

This was another lens that was a really pleasant surprise when we ran it through its paces in our test lab; its performance was really excellent in practically every parameter, and it sells for a very attractive price. At its maximum aperture (a very wide and constant f/2.8), it’s blur plot is remarkably flat across almost its entire focal length range, softening a bit overall and more in the corners at 50mm. One stop down to f/4, and its sharpness is very good to excellent across the entire frame at all focal lengths. Diffraction limiting sets in somewhere between f/11 and f/16. At the end of the day, the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II strikes us as an excellent option for a “walk-around” lens for your DLSR, one that we think hasn’t really gotten the attention it deserves in the crowded lens market. ..READ FULL REVIEW

Photo Review

A well built standard zoom lens for DSLR cameras with ‘APS-C sized’ sensors. Tamron has tagged its new 17-50mm F/2.8 lens with the ‘SP’ label, indicating Super Performance, which puts it into the professional product category. It also bears the Di II, indicating a second-generation, digitally integrated lens that is designed for use with ‘APS-C sized’ sensors and mounts are available for Canon, Nikon and Sony DSLRs. As tested on a Canon EOS 300D, it covers a field of view equivalent to approximately 27-80mm. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW