# Review: Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2



## Canon Rumors Guy (Sep 22, 2017)

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Photography Blog has completed their review of the brand new Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2, which just began shipping in the last week or so.</p>
<p>It looks like they’ve come away quite impressed with this new Tamron.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p>

<blockquote><p>The new Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 is a versatile walk-around lens with a fast maximum aperture that consistently delivers great images. It’s very sharp throughout most of the zoom and aperture range, even at the edges of the frame, with sharpness only falling off a little shooting wide open at f/2.8. The new SP 24-70mm G2 also produces very nice bokeh effects thanks to the 9-blade iris diaphragm, although there’s some very obvious vignetting and some barrel distortion at 24mm, plus slight pincushioning at 70mm. Overall, though, there’s little to complain about in the image quality department. <a href="http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/tamron_sp_24_70mm_f2_8_di_vc_usd_g2_review">Read the full review</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong><a href="https://bhpho.to/2eXrFQ9">Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 at B&H Photo</a></strong></p>
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## BeenThere (Sep 22, 2017)

CA purple fringing at 24mm, and edge sharpness at 70mm were not very good; but otherwise fairly decent performance. Purely subjective from the images presented.


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## Ozarker (Sep 23, 2017)

Just doesn't look so sharp to me.


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## jd7 (Sep 23, 2017)

Just had a look at the Photography Blog reviews of the Tamron G2, the Sigma Art and the Canon L II. (Looked at their review of the Canon f/4L IS as well but the sample photos did not want to load.)

Not really sure what to make of it all though. Looking through the sample photos, as well as the sharpness tests, wide open I felt like the Canon L II was the best, then the Sigma and then the Tamron. I just felt like the Tamron just had a little less sharpness/bite/pop. Hard to tell much though when the photos are taken under different conditions, and have different framing even when they are of the same subject.

Comparing images stopped down to f/11 I thought the Canon was still the best, and I wasn't sure what to make of the Sigma and Tamron. Several of the Sigma shots did not seem very sharp at all, but then one shot (the one of Cabana Brazilian barbecue) looked at least as good as any of the Tamron f/11 shots. Makes me wonder what was going on.

The colour fringing of the Tamron didn't look great in the worst case examples, but I didn't notice it in the sample images (although not sure there was any sample image which was a great test of it).

The way I see it:

Canon L II is the lightest of the three lenses and still delivers the best IQ. I couldn't see much difference in bokeh between the three. I expect it has the fastest and most accurate AF of the three, but I'm yet to read complaints about the AF of either of the other two. But the Canon has no IS of course.

Tamron has IS/VC, but is heavier and has the weakest IQ (although probably not by a whole lot really in real world terms?). Distortion at 24mm seems worse than on the others, and it seems like it may have slightly worse colour fringing than the others. And the zoom ring spins the "wrong" way, which may or may not bother you.

Sigma has OS/VC but is the heaviest, and has IQ in the middle of the other two. And it has no zoom lock (the other two do), which may or may not bother you. (Lack of a zoom seems odd given many people would use a 24-70 as a general walk around lens, doesn't it?)

And then you can add the Canon f/4L IS to the mix too. Easily the smallest and lightest of the 24-70s, but it's only f/4. Has IS, a zoom lock and a semi-macro mode. IQ at least as good as the Tamron and I think broadly similar to the Sigma. Bokeh is actually very good I think (albeit f/4 means less ability to blur the background compared with the f/2.8s at the same framing).


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## SecureGSM (Sep 24, 2017)

Tamron G2 vs Sigma Art: Shootout by Dastin Abbott

https://youtu.be/efRzdYkgbn4

https://youtu.be/cQw5-T5TnDk


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## jd7 (Sep 26, 2017)

SecureGSM said:


> Tamron G2 vs Sigma Art: Shootout by Dastin Abbott
> 
> https://youtu.be/efRzdYkgbn4
> 
> https://youtu.be/cQw5-T5TnDk



From Dustin's review so far, looks like the Tamron and Sigma really are close in many respects - but I'm guessing now that Dustin is probably going to ultimately come down on the side of the Tamron when it's all said and done (eg slightly less vignetting and slightly better light transmission, flare resistance and IS/VC/OS).


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## FramerMCB (Sep 26, 2017)

Quick thoughts after scanning through the review, with close scrutiny of the sharpness tests (24, 35, 50, and 70mm), then viewing/reviewing several of the posted photos, including zooming in on several. Several of the shots do not look either focused properly or the shutter was to slow even with the VC engaged. So I can't tell if I'm critiquing the lens or the tester's shooting technique. Most of the architectural shots are tack-sharp, even out to the edges (real-world example). As opposed to their sharpness tests of book spines. (Which have terrible lighting.) To get a proper understanding of center and edge sharpness, in my humble opinion, it would be far better to test the same 4 focal lengths at the closest focusing distance of each, then at 15-20 feet, and at Infinity. And in a mixture of settings: indoor & outdoor, good & bad lighting, contrasty and drab, etc.

The lens is a winner. I have no doubts that one can capture excellent photos with it. However, I would not pair it with a high-megapixel model like the Canon 5DS r they did their shooting with. I would love to see the lens tested on a 5D Mk IV, the new 6D Mk II, and a 5DX Mk II. Would also like to see some results with an 80D and a 7D Mk II. In the same breath, you simply can't best the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 Mk II - for a number of reasons. However, I'm also not a professional photographer, and so, feel that one can get exceptional images given the right lighting and camera settings with any of the current offerings and including the older models of each (Canon, Sigma, and Tamron). And don't forget, Tokina has a very well received (by an albeit limited crowd) newer 24-70mm f2.8 offering as well.


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