Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD for Canon Digital
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| Name |
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD for Canon Digital |
| Description |
Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 |
| Street Price (approximate US$) |
US$419 |
| Lens Mount |
Canon EF |
| Size |
81mm long/74mm diameter |
| Weight (g) |
434g |
| Minimum Focus Distance |
27cm |
| Filter Size |
67mm |
| Magnification |
1:4.5 |
| Includes Lens Hood |
Yes |
| Image Stablised |
No |
| |
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Average reviewer scores
| Build Quality |
4 |
Sharpness |
4.7 |
| Bokeh |
3.7 |
Other Image Quality |
4 |
| AF Accuracy |
4 |
AF Speed |
3.7 |
| AF (difficult conditions) |
3.7 |
Value for money |
5 |
| Reliability |
4 |
Weighted Score |
4.2/5 |
Reviews by our members
Review by
cedm on 10 June 2008
| Individual review |
| Build Quality | 4 |
| Reliability | 5 |
| Sharpness | 5 |
| Bokeh | 4 |
| Other Image Quality | 4 |
| AF Accuracy | 4 |
| AF Speed | 4 |
| AF (difficult conditions) | 3 |
| Value for money | 5 |
Pros: Constant max aperture (F2.8), sharp, price, comes with hood
Cons: high-pitch AF noise, no IS (hey, wouldn't that be nice? :)
What I like about this lens is its maximum aperture of 2.8 (constant across the whole focal range!). You can easily stop action of moving subjects, get nice blur backgrounds and shoot in low light conditions without flash.
It's sharp wide open, although it gets slightly better stopped down a little.
AF is noisy, but no more than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. It's just high pitched, which some people don't like. Not really an issue to me, although it's apparently silent on the Nikon-mount version...
Build quality is good, feels very solid and the mount is in metal.
Very attractive price tag and free hood included!
In a nutshell, this is the ideal walkaround lens on a cropped sensor camera.
Review by
tmonatr on 20 May 2008
| Individual review |
| Build Quality | 4 |
| Reliability | 4 |
| Sharpness | 5 |
| Bokeh | 4 |
| Other Image Quality | 5 |
| AF Accuracy | 5 |
| AF Speed | 4 |
| AF (difficult conditions) | 4 |
| Value for money | 5 |
Pros: Sharp, accurate AF, great price, constant wide aperature.
Cons: Loud AF
I bought this as a replacement for my Sigma 17-70 (another great lens) mainly for its constant 2.8 ap. I have been very pleased with it. Very sharp, even wide open. AF, though loud and high pitched, is very accurate. Great as a walk-around lens on a crop camera.
Review by
Big Mike on 16 May 2008
| Individual review |
| Build Quality | 4 |
| Reliability | 3 |
| Sharpness | 4 |
| Bokeh | 3 |
| Other Image Quality | 3 |
| AF Accuracy | 3 |
| AF Speed | 3 |
| AF (difficult conditions) | 4 |
| Value for money | 5 |
Pros: Fast max aperture, Great value for money
Cons: Loud Focus
I bought this lens because I couldn't afford the one I really wanted, the Canon EF-S 17-55 F2.8 IS. Considering the price difference, I think the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 is a good compromise.
The image quality, while not on par with L lenses (or the Canon 17-55mm), is still very good.
The build quality is quite good and it feels very solid. It's quite compact for an F2.8 lens, which is nice. The control rings are nice and smooth but they zoom is the opposite of a Canon lens, so it does take some getting used to.
The focus motor is quick but it's noticeably louder than Canon's ring USM. I wouldn't say that it's too loud...but quieter would be better.
Overall, I think this is a good alternative to the Canon 17-55mm F2.8 IS, especially at 1/3 of the price. At less than $500, it's a great value for a high quality lens and it includes a petal hood and Tamron's 6 year warranty
