( 8 reviews )
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Posted: Nov 29 2008
This lens is fantastic for the budget shooter and even the serious amateur. I did a lot of research before buying this lens and the positive reviews were generally spot on. The lens is well built, sharp, and quick. There are some cons to weigh before purchasing the lens, however. The first and most annoying of these being the focal range. As much as I like having 75mm on the long end, 28mm is in no way wide enough for everyday use. I shoot mainly travel images, and the 28mm (42mm on DX sensor) is not acceptable for landscapes. Thus, I carried an 18-55mm that was given to me. Not an awful tragedy, but enough to be an inconvenience. Second, the lens creep can be plaguing on certain copies of the lens. Sure there is a lock, but this only works on 28mm. Overall, as with any lens purchase, it's important to decide what kind of lens you need based on the type of images you are shooting for. I need a good range and it's not always handy to switch lenses, so I'm buying the 18-105mm from Nikon. Note: the manual focus is very smooth, as is the zoom.
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Posted: Apr 11 2008
I too am surprised to see this lens rated across the range. My copy is very sharp, and in fact, I tend to side with those who say it's as sharp as L lenses for Canon. Other review sites show the same range of opinions, which would only lead one to believe that there may be a lot of variations between copies. It is unfortunate that this is the case because those who have good copies truly have excellent results. If you really like the lens and have gotten a "soft" copy, I would not hesitate in returning it for another, or you can send it away to Tamron since they have a 6 year USA warranty. If you're in doubt, go to a local dealer where you can "test drive" one and see the results, and if you're lucky enough to have a dealer who has a liberal return policy, take it home and put it to the test. I would not let the bad reviews scare you away from trying out this lens.
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Posted: Jan 27 2008
I chose this product because so many people in the wedding business recommended it for low light situations. The 2.8 aperture was nice but this lens was not sharp. Every single one of my shots was the same. Very soft in the center. Even my mother who knows NOTHING about photography and lenses noticed it. I sent it back. I've heard some people say that they bought this lens and it was sharp....I guess it's hit or miss....good luck!
