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Questions & Answers

Amit S : Does this work with Nikon D90 camera?DAVID A : yes
lib h : Is this lens good for indoor sports photography? I worry about the comments of slow/blurry focus.STEPHEN G : The f2.8 is a relativily fast lens. With todays camera's higher ISO and lower noise it shouldn't be a problem. It's a very good lens. For sports you might consider a longer focal lenght. A 50 mm will only get you so close.FERNANDO R : This lens is great for sports photography because of its speed and short depth of field. As with any other lens, turn off the VC and use Manual Focus.JOE B : I'm not sure if I have a good answer for you, but I'm thinking the reach might be more of a hindrance. I use it a lot in the school I work at. I get blurry pictures from time to time, but I think it's because I fire away without giving the camera a chance to lock on. I've made some great action shots in our gym and it has terrible light. The aperture on this lens makes you look good in so many situations!VINEETH V : It is not the fastest lens for indoor sports. You may want to look elsewhere. But for slow moving action, parties etc - it does a great job.
Shopper : Does this lens work with the Nikon D700 & 800 bodies? Thank you!ART L : It can be mounted to the D700 and D800, but it since it is designed for APC sensor sized cameras, it will not cover the full frame sensors of the D700 and D800 cameras. Although this is an excellent lens, do purchase it for a full frame camera.TERRY S : I'm sure it does but I have no personal knowledge as I ha be the D300 for which it works very well. Sorry I can't be of significan help with the specific question. TerryDOROTHY J. H : I have a D7000 NOT D700.I was asked if I could answer this question.It certainly workes with the D700,DO NOT KNOW WHY ,IF IT IS A NIKON MOUNT ,IT WOULD NOT WORK ON A d700DAVID B : Sorry, I'm a Canon guy. This lens is for crop sensor cameras. If a D700/800 is a crop sensor camera the Nikon version will likely work. I liked mine.MARVIN I : Yes it will work on your D700 & 800, but my findings, the photos were a little out of focus and soft, not a sharp lens, at least the one I had. Bought a Sigma of the same length and aperture and was pleased with the photos. Tried to adjust the Tamron with the internal focus fine tune on my Nikon, with out any success. Have had many Tamron lenses and the quality just isn't there. As being a wedding photographer, I need a sharp image on some shots and close focus, which this lens does not have either. Hope this helps.MITCHELL G : No. Lens is for crop sensor only

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2023-12-30T10:00:56

Rated 5 out of 5

Great value.

Great lens. I mistakenly picked the EFs instead of the EF mount but it works well on my APSc body. I also adapt it on my Lumix micro four-thirds bodies and I love the range on it.

Malcom C.

2022-04-27T08:38:17

Rated 5 out of 5

Not a pro, but now I feel like one

I got this lense as part of a two-lense replacement of my Nikon D7200. The kit lense has a range of 18-140 and I got this lense to replace the lower half of that range. The f2.8 aperture availability throughout the zoom range makes for wonderful possibilities because the depth of field can be controlled well and because the lense is pretty fast. The picture clarity is was missing from the kit lense. This Tamron lense takes excellent, sharp pictures.

Robert C.

2022-01-15T07:54:09

Rated 5 out of 5

Nice Lens

Nice upgrade from non VR version. Being on sale at Adorama forced me to upgrade and pass down my old lens to my daughter,

DONALD G.

2018-05-12T12:29:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent lens

Excellent lens. Fast constant apatite and lens is super sharp. Can't recommend enough.TamronT

Robert K.

2016-10-03T17:46:33

Rated 5 out of 5

Great in low light

I was looking for a lens that does well in low light and this is it. I have the "thrifty Nifty"but is a prime lens. Love this lens.

WOLFGANG R.

2013-06-03T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

A SUPERB LENS

Acquiring reference images on the fly requires a dependable lens. For someone who uses a camera for both documentary and creative needs, this Lens delivers superb possibilities. Despite its limlted zoom range, its fine optics compensates for this set back.

escor3d

2013-05-08T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Overall verry good Stuff

Also verry good for food photography

Djagar

2012-08-12T21:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

OK, but not great.

I wanted a general purpose zoom lens for my Canon Eos XSi and after reading extensive reviews of various lenses I decided to try the Tamron to save a little money over the equivalent Canon lens. I also liked the idea of the 6 year warranty that Tamron offers and the ability to shoot at f/1.8 throughout the zoom range of the Tamron lens. In test shots I found that the focus wide open was unacceptably soft and therefore negated any benefit from having it in the first place. The image stabilization (or VC for "vibration compensation" as Tamron calls it) mechanism is very noisy and "clunky". It makes so much noise that at first I though it was actually broken. You must press the shutter down half way and wait a second for the VC to do its job before you press the shutter all the way or your shots will be even worse! I was pleased with its performance on some hand held shots indoors in low light though. If you have the time to wait and compose your shots you can get good images handheld at 1/10s with this lens. I finally decided to send this lens back and get the Canon 15-85mm, which I'm very happy with. It's only a bit more expensive but the quality is better and the extra range at either end of the zoom is really nice.

KATHY P.

2012-07-17T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Wedding Photographer

This lens offered me the best bang for the buck as I am starting to do Weddings and events. I need a fast lens for low light venues and this lens does a great job. I have it paired with a Canon 7D and it has given me some clean crisp shots. I do find the focus to be a little slower than my canon lenses but it is still a very nice addition to my gear. With an indoor event I find this lens was all I needed to cover all my shots from fine table details to formal group portraits.

BC

2012-05-23T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

What a great lens for the money

My hobby has been photography and the Tamron lens is a great addition. I've used this lens several times and it has performed great in low light and outside shots. Great lens for the value. The zoom is a little stiff but you will soon get use to it either way you can't beat the price for a L lens.

JIM H.

2012-05-23T21:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

A good lens for the money

very good landscape lens for the money

Photoguy

2012-01-21T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great Lens

First of all, I see a lot of people saying it's not an L lens, no USM, well no kidding you should have known that when you bought it.... I find this lens a great all around lens on my Canon Digital Rebel XSI and gives me sharp images....Far superior to the kit lens. I have not had a problem with slow focus like a lot of the reviews have mentioned, I shoot mostly landscape and night scenes it delivers. If i go on a trip and have to choose a lens to take it's this one and it doesn't let me down. For the price it's a great addition to any one that want's a affordable lens.

Tim

2012-01-16T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Excellent optics, quirky AF and VR

Very sharp even wide open. No discernible color aberrations. Moderate barrel distortion at wide angle. Neutral bokeh (out-of-focus highlights rendered as uniform circles). Autofocus accuracy is close to Nikon's, though a bit slow. Optical stabilization is very effective, but require a one-second delay to settle down after every half-press or flash burst. Build quality is OK, though there's a tiny bit of play in focus and zoom rings. Both autofocus and stabilization are acoustically noisy. The lens hood is a bit loose in its clip, so it rattles. Overall, a wonderful low-light/indoor zoom, excellent value. Autofocus on mine failed after 2 years (no longer acquired lock). Fixed under warranty service. Great service: no hassles, no charge, mailed back within a couple of days and in perfect condition.

ERAN T.

2011-12-18T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Amazing Lens

This lens is truley amazing. Shooting hand held in very low light conditions with the Vibration Compensation feature on produces sharp, steady images even at wide open. The color reproduction and contrast is fantastic. Images are sharp and crisp across all apretures. The construction is solid with no lens creep. The focal length ring operates smoothly with no slop. I am very pleased and frankly amazed at the quality and perfomance of this product

DENNIS S.

2011-12-04T19:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

Decent, but still needs work

This lens still needs some work. I have tried 2 of them and each has a focus problem. The lens fails to grab the outside edges of photos sharply meaning in large group shots you'll have some people in focus and others out. I like Tamron gear but this one needs more refining to help it live up to the rest of their lenses.

MICHAEL W.

2011-11-26T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great walking-around lens

This is kinda my all-purpose lens. If I'm heading somewhere and I can't really take my whole camera bag, this is a lens I take. Great lens for much less than the equivalent Canon L lens.

Sean H.

2011-09-15T21:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

Decent lens if your on a budget

This is a decent lens if you are on a budget. If you have the money to spend I would go with the canon 17-55mm over this. I have had this lens for almost 3 years. I send it in about every 6 months to get some issue fixed. I have sent it in to fix the autofocus, to fix the lens contacts, and to get it cleaned. Dust gets behing the front element of this lens pretty easy, and sand and other elements seem to jam up the focus ring pretty easily as well. All that being said, I would say I am a lot harder on my equipment than many people out there. I shoot in rugged outdoor conditions every week. Also, Tamron has always been really good about fixing the lens free of charge under warranty, and it has a 6 year warranty! That is awesome. The fast aperture is really nice, and it is pretty sharp wide open. The vibration compensation is great too, especially for video which is what I mainly use this lens for. Autofocus on this lens for photo is mediocre at best. But if video is your game, this is a pretty good choice for a fast lens at a decent price. I would give build quality a 3 out of 5, but if they weather sealed it, I would give it a 5.

Matt Z.

2011-09-12T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

great lens for the price

photograpging indoor events a lot

doc

2011-09-04T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

A Very Good lens regardless of Price

I couldn't justify the L series lens especially at almost double the price. I have shot with a L series lens. I would have to shoot the lenses back to back to notice if their was any difference. I have owned a couple of the Tamron lenses and have been very pleased with them.

KEVIN C.

2011-07-14T21:00:00

Rated 2 out of 5

Not that great!

Had a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and a 70-200 f2.8 in the past and was pleased (not wow'ed) with Tamron brand lens. Thought I would try this VC lens, used it on one (1) wedding and tried to sell it after seeing the photograph's, it took 2 months to sell, I had it to long[...]. The focus was off, tried the focus fine tune adjustment with a little luck but not enough. I did try the lens before the wedding, on the LCD, it looked Ok, but when enlarged on computer screen, what a disappointment. Lucked out and the couple did not want any large prints, just a album. Focus speed was Ok, and did not think it was loud. The lens is a good size to carry, but if it does not perform, size does not matter. The lens did reproduce color well.

MARVIN I.

2011-07-05T21:00:00

Rated 2 out of 5

Not impressed with my lens

I really wanted to like the lens. I researched between this and the Sigma, but in my town, the Sigma was harder to find, so I went with the Tammy. My first lens didnt impress me at all. At 50mm 2.8 the images were so soft that I couldnt print out any pictures. I returned the lens for another one, and although the image quality is slightly better, anything less than F9 is very soft and not sharp. I sent the lens to Tamron to have it recalibrated and the images were not any better and there was dust within the lens, so again, its back with Tamron. I am so very disapointed with this lens. I feel that Im stuck with this lens because it is worthless in low light, but does well with good light and I bought it for use in low light. I perhaps got a bad apple out of the batch.

Javiair

2011-03-03T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

THE Walkaround Lens

This is my first lens, and what a lens it is! I wanted to buy something that I wouldn't have to upgrade later on, but I couldn't justify shelling out for Canon's EF-S 17-55 IS USM. Pros: This lens is dirt cheap compared to it's image quality - fantastic. Photos are tack sharp, even wide open, with minimal CA and distortion at 24mm and above. Beautiful, creamy bokeh, good contrast... I could go on and on. The constant f/2.8 aperture is great, and the (relatively) light weight and small size means it can stay on the camera anytime, anywhere. Tamron throws in a fairly nice lens hood. Cons: This lens has rather strong barrel distortion and vignetting at 17mm. The vignetting disappears when stopping down to about f/4. Autofocus is noisy and slow to anybody used to Canon USM lenses, but it's quieter than reviews make out. No FTM. Small caveat: The zoom and focus rings rotate opposite to Canon lenses - the "right" direction for Nikon, but "wrong" for Canon.

Zen

2011-02-28T19:00:00

Rated 1 out of 5

Save yourself a headache, get the Sigma!

I bought the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 last weekend and was highly disappointed. The motor is loud to the point of distraction when you're in a quiet room. The AF works SOME of the time, and the viewfinder "skips". (Picture banging your fist on an old TV set and the picture jumps.) [...] try out the Sigma 17-50 and the 24-70. Both of those are sharp, sharp, sharp! Quiet motor as well. I exchanged the Tammy for the Sigma 24-70.

Steve

2011-01-26T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Love it

Great lens for the price.Bought it in November when it had a better rebate.This was my first Tamron although i have used 28-75 at work.Very good results on my 7d, love the bokeh. The only con is that it tends to hunt in low light, wish it had USM or HSM. My slower canon 28-135 nails the focus faster under the same lighting than the Tamron, the only reason i could think of was the USM on canon.Wonder how the Sigma 17-50 os hsm compares to this?

Margaret M.

2011-01-20T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great lens!

I bought this lens to replace the kit lens that came with my Canon XSi. I couldn't be happier. Very sharp, consistent focus across the photo, great color rendition, and solid construction. Seems a real work horse. Did forget to use the VC feature on several low light photos. Will not do that again! Great lens.

iamsville

2011-01-11T19:00:00

Rated 2 out of 5

Not very pleased...

I really wanted to like this lens because of the dramatic cost savings from the Nikkor version. After shooting several hundred photos over two weeks in various environments, I examined the photos, tweaked my camera settings, and then gave up. My photos just weren't as sharp and crisp as when I used my other lenses. I was intending to use it for 90% of my photos (indoors, little kids, low light) but the image quality wasn't there. I returned it.

Priti

2010-11-01T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

I will buy it again

Good lens with the price only half of the Canon lens.

TUAN C.

2010-10-15T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Outstanding Lens

Great for All around use.

TONY Z.

2010-09-20T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

A good 1st lens

My 1st lens for my Canon XSi far & away better than the kit lens. It is much more affordable than the Canon 17-55 IS. This is a good every day lens. Only downside it is a little noisy & focus is a little slow but it does not prevent me from getting the shots I want.

J.W A.

2010-04-12T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

"Affordable value"

excellent shapness and good VC performance. It is a great bargain at the price. So far I have used it for landscape and museum pictures. It's imaging is a definite improvement on its non-VC predecessor, which I also owned.

Stu

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Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 DI-II VC Specifications

General

General

Jump to...
  • Brand

    Tamron

  • MPN

    AFB005NII700

  • Lens Series

    Tamron Di II

  • Color

    Black

  • Lens Type

    Wide Angle To Standard Zoom

  • Lens Mount

    Nikon

  • Format Compatibility

    APS-C / DX

  • Focus Type

    Auto Focus

  • Focusing Technology

    N/A

  • Closest Focus Distance

    11.4" / 29cm

  • Distance Information

    N/A

  • Built-In Motor

    N/A

  • Focal Length

    17-50mm

  • Angle Of View

    78 - 31 deg.

  • 35mm Equivalent Focal Length

    N/A

  • Coverage

    N/A

  • Minimum Aperture

    f/32

  • Maximum Aperture

    f/2.8

  • Maximum Magnification

    N/A

  • Lens Coating

    N/A

  • Aspherical Elements

    Yes

  • ED Glass Elements

    N/A

  • Filter Size

    72mm

Construction

Jump to...
  • Lens Elements / Groups

    19 Elements / 14 Groups

  • Diaphragm Blades

    N/A

  • Dimensions

    3.7 x 3.13" (94.5 x 79.6mm)

  • Weight

    20.15oz / 570g

Features

Jump to...
  • Image Stabilization Type

    VC

  • Tripod Collar

    N/A

  • Waterproof / Water Resistant

    N/A

  • Dust Resistant

    N/A

  • UPC Code

    725211005056

4 Accessories for Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical Zoom Lens for Nikon F Mount

  • All Accessories (4)
  • Filters (1)
  • Adapters & Mounts (1)
  • Cleaning Accessories (2)

About Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 DI-II VC

FEATURED REVIEWS

Absolutely fabulous lens!

By stactum

I have the 17-50mm non-VC version and just got a VC as an upgrade and what can I say! Absolutely amazing! I tested it on my 7D and the quality is on par but in most instances better than non-VC version. Actually it's sharper wide open and throughout the range it wins or on par with the old version. It's a bit heavier than old version, but the built quality seems to be solid (not L-class tho), focus and zoom rings are smooth and have normal resistance. Includes lens hood which should do the jo...

View full Review

Fantastic, Quality Lens

By Francjue

I've been in photography for 50 years and this is one of the most versatile lenses I've every owned. At F/2.8 it offers the speed I need in the lowest of lighting conditions and range of focal lengths that can cover everything from wide angle interior and architectural shots to nice portraits with blurry backgrounds.

Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 DI-II VC.

The new SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC covers the heavily-used 17-50mm focal distance range (angle of view equivalent to 26 78mm when converted to the full frame format) making it an extremely versatile, high-performance zoom lens.

Sharp, Brilliant Images.

Achieving sharpness and striking contrast, the lens produces beautiful images that are enhanced by the shallow depth-of-field afforded by the maximum aperture of F/2.8 and enriches the user's range of photographic expression.

Sharp, Brilliant Images.

VC Image Stabilization.

The new lens is equipped with Tamron's proprietary Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism, which provides more opportunities for hand-held photography, such as low-lit conditions like evening, night scenes and indoors, leading to a dramatically enhanced level of photographic freedom. Compatible with Nikon DSLR cameras.

VC Image Stabilization.

Features.

  • Compact Fast Zoom with VC
  • Fast Constant F/2.8 Aperture
  • 26-78mm equivalent* on APS-C DSLRs (*Tamron uses 1.55X as an average conversion to full frame)
  • For use on APS-C size DSLR cameras
  • 11.4" MFD / 1:4.8 Max. Mag. Ratio
  • Internal Focusing

What's in the box:

  • Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR DI-II VC Zoom Lens
  • Front Lens Cap
  • Rear Lens Cap
  • Flower Shaped Hood
  • Tamron 6 Year USA Warranty