A fast aperture standard zoom with Vibration Compensation for Nikon or Canon APS-C sensor digital SLR cameras.

Excellent resolution in the centre at most apertures and focal lengths; Vibration Compensation is very effective; Good value for money

Falloff in resolution at 50mm and f/2.8; Flare control

Outperforms similarly priced lenses, but quality control could be an issue

Fast f/2.8 constant-aperture; Good sharpness

No full-time manual override

When I first started searching for a wide angle multipurpose zoom lens, I shortlisted Canon 18-200mm IS, Canon 18-55mm IS, Canon 17-50mm F2.8 USM, Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 & Tamron 17-50mm F2.8. I read various expert reviews, user reviews and lens comparisons on the internet.

Very sharp in outdoor settings; very good from f3.5/24mm onwards

soft at f2.8; difficult to focus in low light conditions; slow auto focus

Steve's SnapShot Cons Bottom Line Pick This Up If...

Very well built; Comfortable controls; Capable VC system; Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture; Produces beautiful results when stopped down; Appealing focal range; Half the price of it's Nikon and Canon competitors

Quite soft when wide open; Small amount of visible CA; I felt the zoom ring had a bit too much resistance; AF and VC systems make a good amount of noise; Some front focusing was noted while capturing indoor portraits

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Easy To Use

Loud motor

Besides the motor being rather loud, I really can't complain about this lens. The price is great for the quality. I have this lens on my camera 70% of the time and I am definitely impressed with how well it works in low light.

Easy To Use

Loud motor

The Tamron AF 17-50mm f 2.8 XR Di II is a lens designed specifically for digital SLRs and their smal

Moderate pricing for a fast lens.

Loose manual focus ring

Tamron's SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC lens is designed exclusively for cameras with APS-C sized sensors and covers the popular standard zoom range of focal lengths. On Nikon cameras it is equivalent to 26-78mm in 35mm format, while on the Canon EOS 40D body we used for our tests, the equivalent...

A fast aperture standard zoom with Vibration Compensation for Nikon or Canon APS-C sensor digital SLR cameras.

Excellent resolution in the centre at most apertures and focal lengths; Vibration Compensation is very effective; Good value for money

Falloff in resolution at 50mm and f/2.8; Flare control

Features & handling This is a well-designed lens that feels really nice. The zoom ring is a good size and has a positive feel to it. The focusing ring is very loose in manual mode, which is a bit disappointing considering the rest of the build.