Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical A-mount lens review by ricardovaste
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 3.8 | tested on:
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ownership: | I own this lens |
compared to: | 24-105, 15-30, 28/2, 50/1.7, 50/1.4, 24-85 |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | -Good detail/sharpness -Decent size -Fast aperture for a zoom -Relatively quick focus -Good flare control -Punchy colours -Great value for money -Good sharpness/detail even when using very small apertures -Nice relatively high contrast -close focus is nice, especially at 17mm |
negative: | -Colours can be too saturated a lot of the time -Sharpness wide open is very usable, but could be better -Too short for head/shoulder portraits, I get distortion from getting too close (seems shorter than a regular 50mm prime) -build quality isn't great. had a few problems and it doesn't feel like it will last you forever like a quality minolta lens. -distortion is there, a little at the wide end. that may be a problem for some, not for me though. -vignettes at wide angle/wide apertures. again, not a problem for me. -softness in corners at wide angle even when stopped down to peak aperture. Not a problem for me. |
comment: | Great value for money, but mine is starting to show it's real 'value' after only gentle use. Highly recommended for any aps-c shooter looking for a good quality standard zoom. What impresses me most about this lens (atleast compared to older minoltas ive used) is the flare/glare control, along with the good amount of detail you can stil get (with good technique) even at very small apertures (f/22-f/32). I use this lens often for landscapes, so the above are very important to me and hence why i got on so well with this lens at first... only after time i felt a bit let down as the lens starts to crack and rattle. |
rating summary

- total reviews: 214
- sharpness: 4.59
- color: 4.45
- build: 4.14
- distortion: 4.16
- flare control: 4.45
- overall: 4.36