Great aperture range for focal range. Love f2.8 for macro shots. Close focussing distance for an f2.8, long Zoom. Rugged. See Customer Service.

Heft, and bulk. Size draws unwanted attention.

I found this lens gave me exactly what I wanted, nothing more, nothing less. I have used this lens first on an N70, and later N80. Most images were very crisp, all the way out to the corners with little or no fall-off, with excellent, neutral colors on Fuji Provia 100 and 400F, Velvia and Kodachrome 25, 64 & 200. Of course, I shoot in the sweet-spot of the aperture range nearly all the time, as shooting outdoors usually, there''s pleny of light. Otherwise, when shooting wide open, I am usually shooting macro or low-light, people shots, with the subject in the middle. With it wide open, I get a blurry background, so corner sharpness, distorion at the edges or fall-off just does not matter. Sunsets are great. No flare, except when I want it, as a cool affect when focussing with the sun light in the lens (a little difficult to setup but can get it when I want it and get rid of it when I don''t by how I angle the shot). My best shot with this lens is a semi-wide, macro shot of a tiger-littly that is stunning. Other shots include landscapes, snapshots and some architectual. I must have gotten a good one, because after several years, it has not softened, fallen apart and still gave me good service until it was stolen on vacation summer of ''01. I think the heft, and the general solid feel does not feel cheap to me. I fell with a 50-lb backpack, face-forward into a fast-running creek in the mountains. N70 Camera did not survive, lens did. See customer service.

Customer Service

Excellent. I fell into a creek while trying to cross it in the Saw Tooth Wilderness, Idaho. The N70 was a total loss. Tamron not only cleaned the lens for me, but sent it back with no charge. The lens

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 50 1.4 & 28 2.8 primes. Good results, but not impressied with so-called "legendary" Nikon optics.

None

Poorly constructed. Lense split in two at the mount to camera while being used on a tripod. Had the same thing happen with the 28-300mm. Tamron refuses to stand behind its shoddy products. Buy a brand name and skip this. This deserves NO STARS.

This is a very heavy lens. Mine just split a part while photography flowers. This is the second time in three months. It is CHEAPLY built and NOT worth the money. I''ll never buy another Tamron lens!

Customer Service

Horrible.

Similar Products Used:

Minotla, Yashica, Canon lenses. No problem.

Bright field and large aperature.
Good zoom range.
Sharp and excellent image.
Resistance lock.

Heavy body.
Plastic feeling.

I've been using this lens for 2 years. Buying it because at that time it was the only lens providing f/2.8 at that range. But it still gets hanged with my camera body along this 2 years as my most popular lens.

Customer Service

Don't yet have the need for it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5
Nikkor 20mm f/2.8
Nikkor 80-200mm ED f/2.8

User friendly lens, very fast f.28 when needed,Very sharp images with great color rendition. I have used this lens for about 12 months now, and it goes with me everywhere

82mm filters are very expensive! A bit heavy, but when you see the pictures it takes the weight doesn't seem to bad. A bit much of plastic, but who cares with photos like this! Hefty price for third party lens

This lens stays on my camera 90% of the time. I usually travel with just this lens, 5-6 filters and a flash! Sure beats carrying around 30 pounds of equipement. very happy with this product.

Customer Service

none need so far. Great rebate program!

Similar Products Used:

nikkor 35-70 2.8

fixed F2.8 aperture throughout the most used focal range

Poor built and optical qualities
Bad distortion at the tele range
Very slow in AF, and prone to hunt

Had this lens for more than two years. This lens is very soft when fully opened, actually that is not a complaint. As I shoot people most of the time, this "feature" can be quite flattering. Even, at apertures like F8 onwards, dun expect this lens to be tack-sharp. In terms of sharpness, this lens ia an average performer. Two major minus points about this lens...First , there is really bad distortions from 50mm onwards. Just put a subject at the corners of the frame, and you can see it "stretched"! No Kidding! It has a wide-angle effect at the tele range! Amazing huh? I had the lens sent back to Tamron Japan to have it checked, but the factory replied that this is inherent in the lens design. They said that in every zoom lens design, there's bound to be distortions, and especially in this wide-range design, it occurs in the longer range. An easy test is to place a straight line near the edge of the horizontal and vertical of the frame, and you can see the line warped. This "feature" can be quite interesting in shooting face shots, as it can "alter" the face; the face can be "slimmer and longer" when placed at the corners and etc.....like a wide angle lens effect in a tele lens. Afew of my subjects told me that they look different in the photos!!! The second complaint is the built of this lens....this lens is big and heavy....and as it is, it is mounted via the metal mount through three small screws securing into three "plastic" screw-holes! You guessed it rite, these plastic "screw-holes" cracked and my lens fell onto the floor while its metal mount was still attached to the camera. Couldn't live with these evils anymore, sold this lens and got a Tokina 28-80 pro F2.8 and a nikkor DC 105mm F2.

Customer Service

Singapore's agent is not too bad, but in terms of more complicated repairs, the lens must be sent back to Japan

Similar Products Used:

nikkor AF 35-70mm F2.8
tokina atx 28-70mm F2.6-2.8 PRO
tokina atx 28-80mm F2.8 PRO
Nikkor AF-D 105mm DC F2

fixed 2.8 aperature

soft wide open especially at macro distance. difficult autofocussing in low light on Nikon F100

If you really need the fixed 2.8 aperature, as I do, then buy the lens. But there's no comparison to a Nikkor. I use it to lighten the backgrounds in flash candid wedding photos.

Customer Service

very poor. the first copy of this lens started shooting out of focus. cs tried to convince me that there was nothing wrong. Second copy solved the problem.

Similar Products Used:

there is no other lens of this zoom range with a fixed 2.8 aperature

Sharp and great color..good grip and good feel to it.

Filter HUGE..and expensive

I sold my Nikon 35-70 to buy this lens and I don't regret. Although the nikon might have been a little sharper (very little), what kind of range is 35mm to 70mm? If Nikon had made a 28mm to 105mm 2.8 I would buy it at any cost. The Tamron is a great lens and it stays on my camera most of the time. My only complaint is... its plastic. When all said and done it costs $750 and its still plastic. Still, nice lens I would buy it again...

Customer Service

never needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 80-200 2.8 & Nikon 35-70 2.8

In the viewfinder of F100 image is crystal clear, due to the f 2.8 aperture. Images are very sharp and contrasty from f 5.6 to f 11, rendition of colour is excellent, Tamron style. A little fringe of colours at the borders at widest apertures in the wide angle setting would be noticeable.

Manual focusing is awkward with this lens, so it's better to go everytime with the AF, which is, at the long end (90-105 mm) very very slow with my Nikon F100. Very bulky and obtrusive, especially full-extended and with the hood mounted on. Balancing of lens and camera is seldom difficult to obtain, in particular when you are shooting vertical at the long end (most of times indeed)

A good lens, capable of excellent results if stopped down 1,2 stops at the wide angle settings, good for portraiture at the long end eve wide open, good close focusing performance. After a year of use, i recognize it's best suited for color photography. Black & white portraiture seems a little flatted-grey sometimes. Better to extend contrast at the long end using good choice of filters (remember: 82 mm ! Can be expensive) or textured, contrasty lighting.

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Sigma 28/70 2.8 is equal in rendition for sharpness, but falls in contrast and, matter of taste, in colour rendition. A

Yes, I use this lenses on my Kodak DCS 660, and it is my main lenses, it is very sharp and has the perfect zoom range. This is on a Nikon. I also have this lenses for a Kodak DCS 560, which is a Canon version, and for some reason, that lenses is not as sharp, with soft edge around the 28-50mm area. I don't understand, why the Nikon version, is sharper then the Canon version of the same lens.

This review is for the Nikon version. I no longer have the DCS 560.

Nikon version, None
Canon version, soft edge around the 28-50 mm area.

If you are going to used it on a Nikon, it is a very sharp lens and a good all around zoom lens. On a Canon, it act like a different lens.

Customer Service

None as yet

Similar Products Used:

I have the old Tamron 35-105 f2.8 lens, which is also, sharp.

Perfect Zoom lengths and a wide aperature. It's AF is very fast on my Nikon. Has a potent look to it

It was kind of expensive (near $1000). Kind of heavy

Nikon and Sigma don't have anything close to the quality and the price. Must have for any photography

Customer Service

Have not had any problems.

Similar Products Used:

None