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The Tamron AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical (IF) SP was a very popular lens during the film era targeting especially travel and outdoor photography. There were frequent discussions whether to prefer the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS because of image stabilization or this Tamron lens due to its extra kick at the wide end of the zoom range and possibly a higher image quality. Well, the film era is over and the Canon zoom isn't all that useful anymore on APS-C DSLRs with a 45mm equivalent at the wide end of the zoom range. The Tamron isn't stellar in this respect either but with its 38-216mm full frame equivalent can still be used for mainstream applications but there're some question marks regarding its former strength in landscape photography. The lens is available in all major mounts except Four-Thirds.
The optical construction is made of 14 elements in 10 groups including four (!) hybrid asphericals and one AD (Anomalous Dispersion) element. The aperture mechanism features 7 aperture blades. It has a size of 81x79mm and a weight of 530g so it can still be considered as quite compact. The minimal focus distance is 0.4m resulting with a max. magnification of 1:3.3 at 135mm. The filter size is 72mm. A dedicated petal-type hood as well as a soft case is also part of the package.
The lens belongs to Tamron's SP (Super Performance) lineup indicating a professional grade product. The build quality is good indeed and a little up from the usual Tamron standard but Canon L or Tokina AT-X lenses play in a different league. Nonetheless it feels superior to the usual Canon consumer zooms (which is not all that difficult anyway). The control rings operate reasonably smooth. Tamron implemented a zoom lock switch (24mm only) but in the sample lens (a used one) the zoom mechanism was relatively stiff so zoom creeping shouldn't be a problem anyway. Thanks to the IF (Internal Focusing) design the front element does not rotate during zooming or focusing so using a polarizer remains easily possible. Unfortunately the focus ring remains attached to the AF motor so it rotates in AF mode. The Tamron AF 24-135mm SP features a comparatively slow and quite noisy conventional AF micro motor.
Canon EOS 5D offers advanced photographers a lightweight, robust digital SLR that uses Canon's superlative EF lenses without a conversion factor. Its full-frame 12.8 Megapixel CMOS sensor combines with Canon's DIGIC II Image Processor, a high-precision 9-point AF system with 6 assist points, and "Picture Style" color control to deliver images of superior quality with enough resolution for any application. With its wide-angle capabilities, 2.5 inch LCD and magnesium-alloy body, the 5D is the perfect addition to the Digital EOS line. White balance bracketing - +/-3 stops in full-stop increments Enabled with depth-of-field preview button when used with optional Speedlite 580EX, 550EX, 430EX, MR-14EX, or MT-24EX; pressing the depth-of-field preview button fires a modeling-flash Exposure modes - Program AE (Shiftable), Shutter speed-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Full Auto, E-TTL II autoflash program AE, Manual exposure ISO range - Equivalent to ISO 100-1600 (in 1/3-stop increments), ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 50 and 3200 1/8000 to 30 sec. (1/3-stop increments), X-sync at 1/200 sec. shutter speeds 3 fps Continuous shoot mode Image format display mode Single image, 9-image index, Magnified zoom (approx. 1.5x to 10x), Auto play, Auto play right after shooting, Rotated, Jump Uses BP511 battery series Unit Dimensions (without lens) 6.0 x 4.4 x 3.0 in./152 x 113 x 75mm; Weight 28.6 oz./810g (Body only. Battery - 2.9 oz./82g)
For full detail of this camear visit ( http://astore.amazon.com/buy.cheap.canon.digital.slrs.cameras-20/detail/B000NPIP1I)For More Tamon Lenses please visit Canon Digital Store
The Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] is one of the most attractive offers in the standard zoom lens market for APS-C DSLRs. We did already check it out in some other mounts but for the sake of interest we're having a look at the Sony version here as well. You may excuse that most of the existing articles have been copied here - after all there're only marginal differences compared to the Nikon variant. Tamron has categorized the 17-50mm as a SP (Super Performance) lens which is Tamron's professional grade product league similar to the Sony G lineup. As indicated by the Di II the lens provides a reduced image circle so it is only compatible to APS-C DSLR (tested on the Alpha 700). Its field-of-view is equivalent to ~25.5-75mm (1.5x crop) on full frame cameras. The lens may be a "pro spec f/2.8" lens but at a price of around 350€/US$ the Tamron is almost a budget item.The build quality is very decent but typical for most Tamron lenses there's a little too much plastic in there. Nonetheless it is still one of the better implementations in Tamron land. Both the zoom and focus control rings operate pretty smooth. Unfortunately the latter does rotate during AF operations which is a bit dated by now. As you can see in the product shot above the lens extends when zooming towards the long end of the zoom range and the supplied petal-shaped hood adds a little extra length on top. Thanks to internal focusing the front element does not rotate so using a polarizer remains easily possible. The lens has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw operated by the camera. However, due to a very short focus path (about 45 degrees) the the AF is very fast. The AF accuracy is reasonably good - at least on the Alpha 700. FWIW, the tested sample has been serviced by Tamron due to a centering defect. Verdict
The Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] is a very serious performer and an obvious alternative if you can't get warm with the Sony standard zoom lenses. In terms of resolution it is easily able to match the Zeiss ZA 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 DT for instance - that is technically. Unfortunately the lens suffers from strong field curvature at 17mm which may push the corner portions out-of-focus. The level of distortions is about average in this class whereas vignetting and lateral CAs could be somewhat better. Mechanically the lens isn't top notch but it compares very well to other lenses in this price class. All-in-all it's an attractive offer and surely worth a deeper look when shopping for a quality standard zoom lens that does not require a 2nd mortgage.
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