 |   Publisher : Tamron Company : Tamron List Price: Our Price: $509.99 You Save: $139.01 (22%) Used Price : $447.00 |
Features
- Compact Fast Zoom with VC (Vibration Compensation).
- Fast Constant F/2.8 Aperture.
- For use on APS-C size DSLR cameras.
- 11.4-Inch minimum focusing distance / 1: 4.8 Maximum magnification ratio.
- Internal Focusing.
Product Description
The new SP 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC covers the very popular 17-50mm focal length range (equivalent to 26-78mm in the full-frame 35mm format ) making it extremely versatile. Its wide aperture and outstanding performance provide practical advantages in low-light shooting and aesthetic image control, thereby enriching the user's range of creative expression. The new lens delivers impressive sharpness and striking contrast over its entire focal-length and aperture range, and at its maximum aperture of f/2.8 it produces beautiful images enhanced by shallow depth of- field, and smooth, natural transitions in out-of-focus areas of the image (i.e. excellent bokeh.) The new lens is equipped with Tamron's proprietary Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism, which controls the effects of camera shake in three planes. VC provides more opportunities for sharp hand-held photography at the slow shutter speeds needed when shooting in low-light conditions (e.g. night or indoor scenes) dramatically enhancing the user's level of photographic freedom.SimilarProduct
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Customer reviews
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 SP XR Di II VC for Nikon 
by .. Zachary Wagner (Albuquerque, NM USA)
Been going back and forth with lenses for a while now, and finally have my bag full. It's filled mainly with Sigma, but when this Tamron came out, I just couldn't resist the 2.8 through the zoom range and the VC (vibration compensation). So how is it? Well, I love it. The other reviewer here mentioned it's a little loud, and that's true. But that doesn't bother me one bit. It's very, very sharp, generally focuses well and quickly, even in low light, and has accurate color representation. At 17mm 2.8 it's a LITTLE softer, but not much, and once you stop down it gets tack sharp, which is true for most lenses anyway.
As an end note, something needs to be said for Tamron's vibration compensation technology. I recently sold my 18-55 VR Nikon kit lens because I got this Tamron, and the VC works at LEAST as well as the VR does, if not measurably better. Yes, there is a jump when you depress the shutter button halfway, as the motor starts up, but it's something that you get used to extremely quickly (or at least I did), and once that's over, the image is still as a quiet summer lake. The VC works VERY well.
Overall, I'd say the build quality of this lens is very good, and it's definitely a keeper.
The one con I'll personally give it is that the macro capability leaves something to be desired. This isn't billed as a macro lens, so I can't really knock it, but my Sigma 17-70 w/macro smokes it.
Other than that, great lens, especially if you can't afford the Nikon lenses.
An great lens at a reasonable price by .. John P. Mcclellan (Verona, NJ USA)
The Tamron 17-50mm VC lens does everything that the ads said it would do and more. I read a couple of online reviews that thought the VC & focus motor were too noisy. I have to disagree. If nothing else you know for sure that it is working when you can hear it. I put this lens on my Nikon D300. I compared it in two different camera stores with the comparable Nikorr lens. The Nikorr focused a fraction of a second faster. But then again at three times the price, I would expect it to do something at least a little better or faster. I took several test photos with both lenses, and if I hadn't taken notes, I would not be able to discern the difference. The pictures were sharp and crisp throughout the focal range and at several different apertures. I read a review that stated the pictures were too "soft" at the wide apertures. I believe the reviewer was not focusing carefully enough. At f2.8, you don't have much depth of field, and these auto-focus cameras can certainly have a mind of their own when it comes to where it wants to focus. I find fault with the photographer here, not the camera or lens. All in all for the money this is a fantastic bargain. It is the fourth Tamron lens that I have purchased, and Tamron has made me a believer in their products.
A premium lens, for a price by .. L. G. Rozas ()
Some time ago, i bought a tamron 28-75, wich it is an excellent lens, but i really need vibration control, i have shaky hand, for that, i decided buy the new 17-50.
This lens is really really sharp, at any focal lenght, even wide open. the vibration control is fantastic, very usefull at 30mm and beyond. the colors, same nice warm colors than tamron 28-75.
I read that focus speed was improved from the older model, i cant say anything about that,but i have noticed that focus + vc is little bit too noisy.
I really recomend this lens, it will not leave mi camera for a long long time.
Very good in it's own way. by .. P22nut5 (Ca, USA)
This is the review of the copies I tried.
I compared the Tamron 17-50 f2.5 BIM with Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC. The first VC I received was totally soft at 50mm 2.8, actually the proper word is blurred. So I returned it and exchanged for another copy. (Thanks to Amazon excellent return policy). The second copy is very good so I did a comparison shots with the BIM copy first using a tripod then handheld.
With Tripod = BIM copy is way sharper than VC on the corners. Center sharpness, sometimes they are both equal but most of the time I found the VC a tad sharper in some aperture and focal length.
Handheld = VC is sharper than BIM at all aperture and focal lenght. I dont have shaky hands but I still found the VC works for me better.
There is also a strong barrel distortion at 17mm with the VC and significantly less with BIM.
If I will be using tripod all the time, I will definitely buy the non-VC. It's IQ is better than VC and so much cheaper. But since this is gonna be my carry around/travel lens I decided to get the VC version. I love visiting museums and carrying tripod for me is inconvenient for me especially if I'm tagging along with me a toddler(my son) when we are traveling. Some countries also dont allow the use of the tripod in public and some places dont allow the use of flash. VC helps very well also when taking handheld night shots without using a flash.
The VC copy I got is very sharp at 50 and 17mm wide open. And just a little softness at 35mm and sharp at 24mm again. Stopped down to f4 and f5, it's really sharp. Of course with some softness in the corner in some stop and focal length. Otherwise I think this lens is a very good performer. AF is fast. And I dont really find it noisy like some people complained. Whether you buy the BIM or VC you cant go wrong with any of these lenses. It just depends how you want to use it. Both are highly recommended as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive counterpart.
UPDATE: June 26,2010
I decided to send it to Tamron for calibration because it was back focusing a little. In less than 2 weeks I had my lens back even if I was told that it would take 2-3 weeks before I would get it back...and my lens now is FREAKIN' SHARP!!!..even wide open at all focal lenght. And corners are so much sharper. Totally love it. FIVE STAR for Tamron.
Great lens for most vacations by .. Sabi (Singer Island, FL)
I've been looking for a sharp lens to take on vacation when too much gear would be burdensome. A Baltic cruise was the perfect impetus to find one. The Tamron 17-50mmm f/2.8 works beautifully for urban and most outdoor situations, is especially sharp and relatively lighter. My 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 Nikon, the logical alternative, only intermittently gave satisfying results. The Tamron, while it doesn't have the telephoto pulling power, consistently gave tack sharp, good contrast shots and the wider aperture helped in low light situations. I used the VC almost always and found it effective, if not a bit slow to settle. Obviously, you shouldn't leave the VC on when using a tripod, and indeed the hunting did cause a problem the one time I forgot to turn it off. In summary, a great lens and compared to the OEM equivalent, an affordable price.