Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Brand: Tamron
• Model: AF016C-700
• Released on: 2006-03-08
• Dimensions: 4.10" h x 4.10" w x 5.30" l, 1.25 pounds

Features

• 17-50mm aspherical zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon DSLR cameras
• Delivers fast shutter speeds and natural soft-focus effect to produce sophisticated results
• 3 elements of XR glass, 2 hybrid aspherical lens elements, and 1 element of LD glass
• Minimum focus distance of 10.6 inches; internal coatings eliminate ghosting and flare
• Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.3 inches long; weighs 15.2 ounces; 6-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
The Tamron AF 17-50mm aspherical lens expands on the popularity of the AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di zoom, with a 17mm focal length that offers a wider angle of view than an ordinary standard zoom lens. Designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with smaller-size imagers (24 x 16mm or smaller), the 17-50mm standard zoom is extremely lightweight and compact for its speed. And with a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the range, it delivers fast shutter speeds and a natural soft-focus effect that makes your photography even more sophisticated than usual.

Superior image quality
Constructed with cutting-edge Tamron elements--three elements of XR (extra-refractive index) glass, two hybrid aspherical lens elements, and one element of LD glass--this elegant piece of technology inherits Tamron's tradition of premium image quality and compact size. By incorporating Tamron's SP (super performance) and Di-II (designed exclusively for digital cameras) specifications, along with special internal surface coatings to eliminate ghosting and flare, you're guaranteed to get the superior performance you need from your digital camera.

Broadening your horizons
Tamron's SP AF17-50mm offers a wider angle than the standard 18mm zoom lenses ordinarily used with digital cameras. With a wider-angle focal length of 17mm (26mm equivalent), this lens is unbeatable for indoor photography, and for capturing full-length people shots or an entire building. The lens is also top-level in its class for minimum focus distance at 27cm (10.6 inches) across the entire zoom range, making it easier than ever to enjoy the creative combination of wide-angle and macro photography.

• Focal length: 17-50mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Angle of view (diagonal): 78 degrees (at 45 feet) to 31 degrees (11 feet)
• Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups
• Minimum focus distance: 10.6 inches
• Maximum mag ratio: 1:4.5
• Filter size: 67mm
• Diaphragm blades: 7
• Minimum aperture: f/32
• Standard accessory: Flower-shaped hood
• Compatible mount: Canon AF, Konica Minolta AF-D, and Nikon AF-D
• Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.3 inches long
• Weight:15.2 ounces

Customer Reviews

Replacement for the Canon 18-55mm kit lens
Never having had my hands on a Canon L lens, I can't make any valid comparisons. I will say this though, if this lens is noticably lacking in the "feel" of a more expensive L lens, then those lenses must be wonders indeed. It is not lacking in the area of feel and quality at all. I'm not sure it is even fair to compare it to the cheap feeling kit lens which this one replaced on my 20D. There is no comparision at all.

I shoot 100% RAW and in my post processing (Canon DPP and Photoshop CS2) I have not seen any evidence of CA, flare or vignetting. I have looked but even blown up, I do not see those problems even on the many shots I have made at lower f-stops down to and including f/2.8. If they're there, they're not enough to consider if you can't see them. Just might be slight differences in different copies of the lens. Who knows.

I have never had the pleasure of experiencing Canon's USM AF but I know that the AF in the original Canon kit lens I had was better than some lenses I had used on my previous film EOS SLR and this Tamron is noticably better than the kit lens at speed and accuracy. Yes, it is a little noisy but I can live with that. After a few shots, you tend to forget about the sound. At least I have so it's not noticable. Perhaps to my photo subjects, but not to me.

I did some focus tests (the 45 deg angled calibrated chart test) looking for any signs of front or back focus and this lens focuses right on the target line consistantly. I also did some test comparing the sharpness with that of the kit lens (fair test or not?) and as expected, this one is sharper at f/2.8 than the EF-S 18-55mm kit lens is stepped down a couple of stops. No news there. That's what I expected and wanted. I also now shoot with the 20D Set to Parameter 2 (all neutral) and my needed adjustments in post processing the RAW image are fairly minimal and more for taste than technical corrections.

Shortly after getting this lens I took it with me on a trip to Quebec City and ended up photographing a lot of the same scenery I had photographed a couple of years ago using the Canon kit lens. Now perhaps I just becoming a better photographer, but the dramatic difference in the quality of the shots this trip vs. the previous one speaks for the differences between the lenses used.

Negatives for this lens? From my point of view, nothing I can come up with yet.

Excellent standard zoom
Very nice lens. Tack sharp wide open, light weight for a f/2,8, nice color and contrast. I considered this or the Canon 17-55IS. I picked this one because of the price, and I'm thrilled with it. The only downside is AF. It's noisy and slow compared to USM lenses from Canon, but the thing I miss the most is the FTM you get with USM/HSM lenses.

Handles well. The zoom ring is nice. However, the MF ring is not too good, but with the lack of FTM, I find myself not using it so much.

Construction quality is decent, but it's certainly not a Canon L or Sigma EX.

Apart from some minor downsides, it's a great lens capable of delivering amazing IQ. I don't give it a 5 star rating because of the AF.

Canon who?
This is my first ever Tamron purchase. Apparently in the past they made mediocre lenses, but that seems to have changed recently, and this lens seems to confirm it. Images are SHARP, SHARP, SHARP. Color is good, contrast is good, and there's almost no picture degradation on the outer edges, even at f/2.8. No color bleed, no fringing. It's almost too good -- I can see every little skin cell and blemish on someone's face. I can see every little grain on my grandma's leather purse. I can see every little teeny leaf in a far-off tree. It's a vast improvement over Canon's standard 18-55mm kit lens, and better than Canon's mid-grade too. Granted, I haven't tried the famous L series lenses from Canon, but this is about half the price and likely as good.

Cons: everyone complains about the focusing noise. That doesn't bother me at all -- I get used to almost anything. If silence is a factor then go with Canon. Otherwise, the Tamron AF17-50mm f/2.8 does about everything you'd ever want.