Friday September 18
 
11:00
 
Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 VC

Be sure to check the updates at the bottom of this page – new comments and images added 17th Nov 2009, 4th Dec 2009, 17th Dec 2009!

This is the lens I’ve been waiting for – an F2.8 lens with vibration reduction (image stabilisation):

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) for Nikon

Released yesterday in Japan, with my 18-200 currently out of action and not going to be back from Nikon before my vacation this weekend, the lure of this lens proved difficult to resist.

Amazingly, unlike Tamron’s old F2.8 and the other F2.8 lenses I’ve tested with my D90, this one is whisker sharp at F2.8. Look at this quick test shot I did – even though it’s ISO 1800, you can still see a tiny hair on the bottle:

Or this Koala, at ISO 1400:

The only problem I’ve found so far is that under the very bright lights of Bic Camera, when zoomed in to 50mm the images can come out hazy:

So far I’ve only noticed this in the shots taken in Bic Camera, but I’ll be looking out for it in daytime shots. The times when I most want to use this lens – when it’s dark outside or in bars – I’ve not seen this issue, although contrast is definitely reduced at 50mm compared to 17mm.

Focus is fast – as fast as my 18-200, and much faster than the 18-55 kit lens. You can feel, see, and hear the Vibration Control kick in – it’s definitely noisier than the 18-200, but in a reassuring way, and from the tests I’ve done so far, it works just as well as the 18-200 (I have the old version). Very nice.

Build quality is good for the lens itself, but the hood isn’t a tight fit and the lid is a bit stiff to get on and off.

All in all, I’m really impressed by the sharpness at F2.8 and the VC. Take a look at my initial test shots on flickr here. I’ll be following up with shots taken outside to check the “haze” soon.

Check price at Amazon: Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) for Nikon

Update: 25th September 2009. After doing several tests, I found that not only was there haze at 50mm, but there was a little back-focus also. I took the lens back to Bic Camera to compare with another lens and the second lens didn’t have haze or back-focus, so I exchanged it. The new lens is tack-sharp throughout the zoom range and I’m loving it.

Update: 17th November 2009. I’m very pleased with this lens – it is now my standard carry-about lens. Sometimes I notice that if I take two or three shots of something at F2.8, one will be sharper than the others. A similar thing happens with my Sigma F1.4 and therefore I think that is more autofocus variation being highlighted by shallow depth of field rather than a problem with the lens.

Update: 4th Dec 2009. Some more samples: Bokeh and colour from the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 VC and CA/Fringing/Corners

Update: 17th Dec 2009. Some people have bought this lens and – obviously – tested it immediately. They’ve then contacted me asking about focus variation. I’ve had this question enough now that it warrants a page by itself: Autofocus accuracy & shallow depth of field