Tamron SP AF17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF]

You can find all the pixel peeping reviews for this around the web. It lives up to the high marks. It is a great lens and if you can't afford the Canon/Nikon one, get this. So, having said that, I'll go through some of the shortcomings. - Bokeh: very rough bokeh, not that buttery smooth look that you usually want. I don't mind because I rarely use this at the 50mm end. I use my nifty fifty for that. I may throw up a picture showing the bokeh. - AF: The AF is plenty fast and accurate but in low light sometimes it will really struggle and start making a horrible electronic grinding noise as it just gives up and pushes itself against one of the stops. - That lens cap really is a pain in the butt. - No IS. Not a huge deal for me. I'm on tripod in low light anyway. For you it might be.

I upgraded to this lens to replace the standard kit lens that comes with the Canon T2i (18-55mm) After just a couple video shots and pictures with this lens, I was blown away. The shots are stellar! I will be discarding my kit lens from now on, as it no longer deserves a slot in my camera bag, lol. I definitely recommend this as a direct replacement/alternative to the kit lens. It is built solid, nice and heavy. Pictures and videos from it are crystal clear. The only thing I feel weird about is the noise from the auto-focus motor. It is REALLY loud. I got this lens used, so it could be that the motor could be somewhat damaged. I dont use AF for my videography, so this isn't a big deal to me.

Initial post: Bought this lens for my father but checked it out first. This is pretty good lens in the mid-F stop range, but first copy is weak on producing a sharp focus at F2.8 on two different Canon cameras: 40D and 7D. I would just accept it but since the 2.8 ap setting is the reason for buying this lens versus something else, I am returning it for an exchange to see if I just got a bum lens. Update: Got the replacement lens and found that the focus was much better across the aperture spectrum, specifically at 2.8, where the problem existed with the first lens received. I didn't notice any problems with the other aperture settings from 4.0 and higher on either lens copy. I would give 5 stars for value, considering that this lens probably takes pictures on par with the quality obtained using my Canon EF-S lens in the similar mm range for less than 1/2 the cost (Canon: >$1000), and 3 stars for quality control. Thus, score average of four stars. If you buy this lens, check it out and make sure that you didn't get a dud. For users of Canon lenses, one must get used to rotating the zoom ring the opposite direction on the Tamron.

I bought this for a general purpose lens. I couldn't afford a Canon lens 5 years ago, and scored this for $409. I use the lens on a cropped sensor (Rebel XTI), so it' makes a very nice lens for walking around. I like using this in low-light situations-- the autofocus sometimes acts funky in the dark though. Could be sharper, but it's about what you'd expect at this price level. No complaints here. It has served me well for half a decade. I'll keep it until it dies!

This is a very fun and very sharp lens. I am starting to fall in love with this lens. I own a 50mm Canon 1.4, 70-200 2.8 tamron. I sold my kit 28-135 canon lens for this one, I don't regret a bit. 1) No competition in it's class comparing value. 2) The wide angle perspective will make explore new angles, which I couldn't do with my kit lens. 3) 2.8f, what's not to like about it ? It feels solid with a weight. Buy it.