Tamron 28-75mm – Is This Lens Actually Better Suited To 1.6x Crop Bodies?

Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Buy the Tamron 28-75mm for half price at Amazon now!

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The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras is an ideal lens for 1.6x FOVCF cameras and is known for its light weight, low minimum aperture and affordability - (just $459 on Amazon at the time of writing).

Now some of you may not be familiar with all of the abbreviations listed in the full name above – partly because there are so many but also because Tamron are relatively little known in the world of DSLR lenses. However don’t assume that because they are lesser known that they are also not worth your strong consideration.

On the contrary, Tamron DSLR lenses can hold their own against more prominent counterparts Canon and Nikon and have high quality lenses in every category.

Anyway, back to some of the important abbreviations you need to know but may not;

1. SP – Super Performance (the Tamron flagship lens line – think the same concept as Canon L series)
2. XR – Extra Refractive Glass (reduces lens size and hence weight but increases performance)
3. Di – Digitally Integrated Design (to reduce ghosting, flare, CA and peripheral light fall-off along with improved resolution)
4. LD – Low-Dispersion lens elements (to reduce chromatic aberration for sharper images)
5. Aspherical – similar to the term used in Canon/Nikon – contains aspherical elements (compensates for spherical aberration and distortion, making for better performance with fewer elements (and thus allowing for smaller, lighter lenses)
6. (IF) – Internal Focusing – intuitive.

One distinction that needs to be made with the sharpness of this lens is that while the center sharpness is impressive (especially wide open), it is prone to fall off dramatically around the edges of the frame.

Of course, the edge fall off is almost eliminated completely if you are using a 1.6x FOVCF but those full frame users, the soft corners start to become manageable at higher apertures zoomed in towards 75mm.

Unfortunately it is a literal lucky dip as to the quality of lens that you will end up getting when you buy this lens - one copy may be excellent and the next not so good.

At a glance..

• Designed to meet performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras
• Minimum focusing distance of 13 inches; rotation-type zoom
• Smaller and lighter than most fast zoom lenses; weighs 18 ounces
• Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches long; 6-year warranty
• Brand Name: Tamron
• Model: 28-75mm Canon
• Lens Type: Zoom lens
• Mounting Type: Canon EF
• Minimum Focal Range: 13 inches
• Maximum Aperture Range: F/2.8
• Focus Type: auto-focus, manual-focus
• Real Angle Of View: 75
• Weight: 18 Ounces
• Item Display Diameter: 2.9 inches
• Length: 4 inches

Chromatic aberration (CA) on the Tamron 28-75mm is normal for a 28-75mm lens in a sense that is not bad nor is it non-existent. However the auto focus (AF) is somewhat slower than you would expect and the lens may have trouble finding focus in low light.

On the positive side, the build quality is quite good and the zoom function works well, except that the zoom ring works in the opposition direction to Canon lenses, meaning that you might want to zoom in and zoom out by mistake until you get used to it.

The Good

minimal chromatic aberration sound build quality and mechanical operation good image sharpness overall, depending on individual lens 6 year USA warranty to deal with any Tamron-Canon conflicts that may arise

The Bad

slow auto focus poor Tamron quality control some corner softness particularly on full frame bodies not available to Nikon bodies some stiff zoom rings, some loose – again, to do with quality control

Overall you get what you pay for with this lens. Some will find comfort in the fact that this lens is 50% cheaper or more than other premium lenses in its category. Others will find the good centre image sharpness, light weight and low minimum aperture enough to make up for the shortcomings of the 28-75mm.

Overall Rating:

This lens won’t win any awards for exceptional quality but for the price it offers a lot to any photographer who can’t or won’t consider such lenses as the Canon 17-40mm or Canon 24-70mm which are better quality but on the flip side far more expensive and hefty.

The low minimum aperture of f/2.8 on a 1.6x FOVCF body of the Tamron 28-75mm eliminates most of arguably the biggest pitfall of this lens – the dramatic sharpness fall off towards the edges of the frame. It would be a great first general purpose zoom lens for someone starting out into the world of DSLR photography.

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Filed under: Tamron DSLR Lenses

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