Di II: Lenses are designed for exclusive use on digital cameras with smaller-size imagers and inherit all of the benefits of our Di products. These lenses are not designed for conventional cameras and digital cameras with image sensors larger than 24mm x 16mm.
The SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 is a lightweight, compact, fast standard zoom lens designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras, expanding the product concept of the popular SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 zoom lens.
In addition, portrait shots are made beautiful with the natural out-of-focus effect characteristic provided by the fast F/2.8 aperture. Additionally, a broader photographic expression through the use of faster shutter speeds as a result of the maximum aperture offers enhanced photographic pleasure. The lens boasts one of the best close-up shooting performances in the class of fast standard Zoom lenses designed exclusively for digital cameras and featuring an F/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the entire zoom range, to ensure stress-free photographic shots at all focal lengths and distances.
Replacing you standard zoom with this one will be a great way to get sharper images from a well-built lens.
(more in-depth review coming soon)
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I have borrowed a friends Where did you buy this item?: N/A Price paid: 0 When did you buy this item?: N/A
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Good build, affordable fast zoom (f/2.8) Cons: Not consistent across the range
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 113 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.1
Sharpness
4.2
Build Quality
4.1
AF Speed
4.1
Value for Money
4.1
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Very sharp, capable lens, Friday, 03 July 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
The Tamron has replaced my kit lens (22-55) that came with the Rebel XT.
Pros:
* The extra wideness of the lens is greatly appreciated.
* One thing that you will keep hearing people say about the Tamron 17-50 is the sharpness. This is true. Shoot with a tripod and shutter release cable and it's not too hard to get tack sharp.
* Build quality is solid, and the autofocus is very fast. Yes, it does make a little Bit of noise when autofocusing but it's such a non-issue that I would not bother with it unless you needed absolutely silent ring USM focusing.
* Constant f/2.8 throughout the focal range.
Cons
* Just heavy enough to make me think about putting on the 50mm f/1.4 as a walkaround lens. However, the range of the lens along with the IQ generally has me going about town with the Tamron.
Other
I was having trouble getting sharp pictures when I first got the Tamron. It ended up not being a Tamron issue but a me issue. I was hand holding most of my photos and shooting at least 1/FL. What I was not taking into account was the 1.6 crop factor of the APS-C sensor. Once I started taking photos faster than 1/FL*1.6, things sharpened up considerably.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Very happy with this lens, Saturday, 13 June 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I looked at lenses for months trying to figure out which was the best to pair with my flash for indoor pictures of kids. I had the Tamron 18-200mm and while I was happy with the reach it focused way too slow and the aperture was 3.5-6.3. I ended up selling that lens and buying this one. I'm really glad I did.
Positives: 1. The first thing I noticed about the 17-50mm was the focusing speed. It makes noise (a little) but it's really fast and accurate. 3x the speed of the 18-200. I hardly ever miss focus indoors with the 430ex II flash assist lamp on and it's lighting quick. Outdoors the focus speed is as fast as I could ever want.
2. Fast 2.8 max aperture.
3. My pictures are always very sharp even using an aperture of 2.8
4. The closest focus distance is much closer than the 18-200. 10.6 inches is very close when zoomed into 50mm.
5. The 7 blade aperture along with the 10.6 inch min focus distance produces great looking bokeh.
6. The build quality is solid, not plastic feeling.
7. $500+ cheaper than the Canon 2.8IS
8. 6 year warranty! (Canon has a 1 year warranty)
Negatives: 1. There's some obvious distortion at 17mm however it's only noticeable if your looking for it and it's easy to correct using software.
2. AF is a little noisy (but very fast)
3. The 18-200 Tamron I owned had very similar build quality and ended up letting quite a few dust specs inside the lens. They didn't affect image quality but it still bothered me. So far I've found 1 tiny dust spec inside the lens, so this may or may not be a problem but I thought I would mention it since my last Tamron experienced this.
A friend of mine got the Tamron 28-75 and I have to say that I like this lens a little better. As far as sharpness goes, both are great but the 17-50 has much better build quality. The 28-75 feels more plastic that I'm used to. I also prefer the wide 17mm angle to the extra 25mm but that's just me. Overall I'm extremely happy with this lens. It hasn't left my camera for 3 months and I plan on using it until it falls apart.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Lens most used, Friday, 05 June 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I really like this lens. It's very sharp and produces fantastic results with my 40D. Great low light performance, good bokeh, and fast focus. I have had no focus problems with my copy that a few people have complained about. The only fault I have is that it's not ultrasonic so the noise is louder than Canon's, but by no means unacceptable and so fast I hardly notice it anymore. After lots of research and testing other lenses in this range I found this to be the best lens and also about $300 cheaper than Canon's 17-40mm which was my next choice. In most situations this lens stays on my camera more than any other.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Excellent walk-around constant f/2.8 lens, Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
This lens does not seem to get the credit it deserves. It is very sharp, especially at f/4 and smaller apertures. It peaks at around 35mm f/5.6 where it is extremely sharp edge to edge. Color rendition is excellent.
Autofocus is quick, partly because it is only 45 degrees from close focus to infinity [manual focus is difficult for that reason]. Like all lenses, autofocus does hunt in low light or when the focus point is on an area of low Contrast, nothing new here. Auto-focus is a camera-and-lens task, so can't blame only the lens (I am using a Canon XTi 400D).
Build quality is excellent, but not quite L class. I am very happy with this lens. It is a keeper.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great lens for the money, Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
3.3
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
This lens does have issues, as you will soon find out by reading other reviews. Focusing in dim light is problematic. Frequently the lens is not focused on anything in the frame, or your subject is just out of focus. Of course, switching to manual focus resolves the focus issue, but it can be a pain in the neck. In bright light and particularly for wide angle shots, this lens performs wonderfully. The 2.8 aperture for all zoom levels is really handy if you like experimenting with Depth of field or if you work in dim light. As has been noted by other reviewers, the motor is noisy. This could be an issue if you are photographing weddings, but otherwise it is just a slight annoyance and I don't see why it would cause a problem. Bottom line: This lens is not perfect, but it is still an excellent value for the price.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Front focusing, soft results, problems in low ligh, Monday, 11 May 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.5
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
2.0
Tried and really wanted it to work, but the first copy had severe problems with focusing, most images came out soft, front focusing issues, slow focusing in low light. Tried a second sample, a little better, but still not acceptable. Obviously, Tamron has real quality problem issues. Switched to Canon 17-85IS and all problems magically went away, fast reliable focusing in any light and it is instant due to USM. Yes it is not a 2.8 Lens, but what's the point of 2.8 if it has problem focusing in low light? I thought one of the reasons to buy 2.8 was because of low light. Moral for me at least: stay away from third brand lenses.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Returning 2nd Copy. Tamron's Fault, Monday, 11 May 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
I'm returning my second copy of this lens due to severe front focusing issues. I've done some research and found that Amazon was given a bad lot. This time I'm getting a refund, and possibly giving it a third try from another retailer. Sorry Amazon. You've been great in letting me return and even admitted that there is a quality control issue with the lot that you have received from Tamron. TAMRON.. shame on you. You should pull all of the copies that Amazon has and reissue them a new set.
Everyone really loves this lens when it works. Wish I knew.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Fantastic lens, Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
This is a fantastic lens for the price. Since I got it it has been on my Xti(400D) most of the time. I can't comment on the quality issues, as my copy was perfect. It is fully made of plastic, but it is well built and feels robust. (I don't own any L-series lenses to compare).
The cons of these lens are that the focus motors sound quite a bit, and is not the fastest I've seen. It has no IS, but in this focal range you can live without it unless you shoot in very low light conditions. As others pointed, flare could have been controlled better.
Why 5 starts? Because it is _very_ sharp. Sharper than my 28-135IS and even the 50mm f1.8 II. And the colors are good. I've played with the Canon 17-85mm and the image quality of the Tamron is much better. If you don't want/can't spend the almost $1000 the canon 17-55 cost, I certainly recomend this.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Quality Issues: Not as sharp as my 28-135 kit lens, Monday, 27 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
2.0
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
2.0
I have a 40D with 28-135 IS kit lens. After read all positive reviews from this site, I ordered one but have return it since its picture quality even cannot match what I got from 28-135 kit lens of 40D. I also tried to use focus test chart to see if it is because focus problem, but focus is ok only the pictures are not as sharp as 28-135 kit lens. I also tried with tripod to isolate hand-shaking issue, but the picture is still not sharp. Anyway, I might got a bad copy. Sharpness for my test in the descending order is: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon 28-135mm (kit lens), and this one. If you buy this for low light, this one will not help, I got sharper picture with 28-135 IS than this one with handhold. For now I will stick with 28-138 IS till I have money for a canon L lens. If high speed is what you are looking for, don't forget canon 50mm f/1.8 II, you cannot beat it on quality/money.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Quality Control Issues, Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.8
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
2.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
1.0
After reading all of the front focusing issues some people were having - I still took the plunge and gave this lens a shot. It really seemed like a good value and I hoped for a good copy. Well, I received the lens and of course immediately tested it to see if it had any focus issues. Without a formal focus test - there was an obvious front focus especially at 40-50mm when the subject was more than 4-5 feet away. And it had helluva time locking focus in less than bright conditions (using a 40d).
Tamron needs to get their act together and fix this lens. I didn't even bother with another copy and got a refund. I ended up with a used Canon 17-55 2.8 which I am very happy with.
Bottom line... If you are OK with possibly having to exchange it or wait for a month for Tamron to repair - then go ahead and buy it. A good copy of this lens is great for the price and many people are happy with it. If not, and you can afford it - the Canon 17-55 2.8 is an awesome lens. Or, if you haven't yet, pickup a 430EX flash so you can utilize some of your slower lenses indoors.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Front Focusing on Canon XTi, Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.0
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
First copy I received has significant (10-20mm) front focusing issue on Canon XTi when using AutoFocus. Can help a little by switching from 9 point AF to single point AF, but still has pretty significant front focus issue. RMA to amazon, they are shipping a new copy before I return the old one. I love Amazon, hopefully the next copy will be better.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great value, Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Update 4/17- Received new copy of this lens from Amazon today (their Replace policy is excellent) and had some time to test the front focusing issue that I noted on my previous copy (see below). This lens is much, much better. It is pretty accurate on focusing, might get a little front focused as it gets towards 17, but nothing bad.
Very fast at f2.8. Auto focus is decently quick, if not a little loud (as compared to HSM and USM AF from other vendors). Size and weight are excellent. Feels good in my hand, matches nicely to the XTi in terms of size. All-in-all I think I'm going to be happy with this choice.
If you have a front focusing version, I'd recommend having it replaced if possible. If not, Tamron should be able to calibrate it; not sure if it will be covered under the warranty, but if it's bad enough they should. An accurately focusing version is an excellent choice.
Original Review: First copy I received has significant (10-20mm) front focusing issue on Canon XTi when using AutoFocus. Can help a little by switching from 9 point AF to single point AF, but still has pretty significant front focus issue. RMA to amazon, they are shipping a new copy before I return the old one. I love Amazon, hopefully the next copy will be better.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
What a Gem of a Lens!, Saturday, 11 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I received my Tamron 17-50mm just this week, and I have to say I'm blown away by the image quality of this little thing. I immediately tested it against my sharpest lens, a Pentax 50mm f/1.4 Super Multi-Coated Takumar. My Super Tak beats all my other lenses hands down for sharpness and contrast, so I figured I'd test the Tamron against it. I didn't think anything short of Canon's L-Series would match the Tak, but the Tamron sure comes close.
With both set at 2.8, the Tamron is very sharp in the middle but a tiny bit soft on the edges, whereas the Super Tak is sharp across the board. Don't forget, though, that at f/2.8 the Tak is already stopped down a couple of notches, where the Tamron is wide open. By f/4 you have to strain very hard to see any difference between the two, and by f/5.6 the Tamron is every bit as sharp as the Tak.
I consider this to be a very impressive performance by the Tamron. Those old Super Multi-Coated Takumars are renowned for their sharpness, which is why I bought one and adapted it for use with my Canon EOS 400. For a zoom lens to come so close to matching a high-quality prime lens is, for me at least, quite a feat.
As for the other aspects of this lens, the auto-focus is fast and accurate. I've read some reviews that say it's noisy, but mine seems quiet enough. The finish and build quality are very nice. It's not built like a tank, as my Takumar is, but it feels solid enough. The zoom action is nice and smooth, and I noticed no need for the zoom lock switch to prevent zoom creep.
All-in-all, I have to say that this lens was money well spent. For about $400.00 you get a fast, sharp, near L-Series quality lens with a 6-year warranty, something Canon doesn't even think about offering. It's certainly a huge step up from a kit lens. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this little beauty to a friend.
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Very nice lens for a very nice price , Sunday, 05 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this lens for my Canan Rebel XT for my studio photo class, and it is great. Worth every penny. If you want a great lens for just walking around shooting or studio work, this is a great value. Some people were talking about the autofocus not working, I havent had that problem all photos come out crisp and clean. 5 stars.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I don't any other lense except tamron 17-50mm, Sunday, 29 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I probably have this lens for more than 2 years and I have taken thousands of photographs with it. The image quality is excellent in all focal lengths. I really love this lens. Lenses like these should make the price of canon lenses fall, seriously, a similiar kind of canon lens costs double the price.
