Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens

Most of the alphabet seems to feature in this lens’s full title - Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical [IF]. SP signifies Super-Performance, based on three XR (Extra-Refractive) elements, an LD (Low-Dispersion) element and two Aspherical elements in its construction.

As a Di II lens, it’s designed for SLRs with APS-C sensors, it has four-stop VC (Vibration Correction) and IF (Internal Focusing), so the front element neither extends nor rotates during focusing.

Performance and value

Autofocus is very accurate and the focus ring is precise. Sharpness at the center of the frame was excellent even when shooting at f/2.8, and resolution only really dropped off at the extreme edges. Couple this with a drop of $250 in the street price, and this Tamron optic is a bargain.

With its maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range and four-stop vibration correction, this Tamron outperforms a number of similarly priced and more expensive lenses, and at the price, I think it is a winner.

• Tamron technology ensures excellent images throughout the zoom range
• Internal focusing means the front element won’t extend or rotate
• These handy all-purpose lens offer wide-angle and telephoto shooting, plus impressive image quality, at a price that won’t break the bank

The best close-up shooting performances in the class of fast standard zoom lenses

Extraordinary detail at the macro level

Specifications