Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD: A Constant-Aperture Full-Frame Zoom

By Jack Neubart • Posted: May 6, 2013 • Published in SHUTTERBUG MAGAZINE: Apr 1, 2013

PHOTO CAPTION
Tamron 24-70mm at Maximum Aperture
Pritzker Pavilion, in Millennium Park, Chicago, captured with a handheld Canon EOS 5D and Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with Vibration Compensation (VC) engaged. (@24mm, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/15 sec.)

The difference between a “constant” aperture zoom and other standard zooms is that when you increase the focal length on the standard zoom the maximum aperture becomes smaller. This might make the difference between being able to hand hold or not when zooming in, and may indeed force the use of higher ISOs. Known as “fast” lenses, constant aperture zooms are pricier and bulkier than their variable-aperture counterparts. And to sweeten the pot, we’ve seen more and more fast lenses with built-in image stabilization, which gets you even more low light and camera-shake-free capability.

Enter Tamron’s new SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Model A007. Selling for $1299, it’s not cheap, although less expensive than comparable OEM lenses. The image-stabilized Tamron 24-70mm F/2.8 VC is available for D-SLRs from Canon (tested on a Canon EOS 5D) and Nikon (also for Sony sans built-in stabilization). The lens is targeted at full-frame cameras, but is also compatible with APS-C (cropped) sensor D-SLRs, upon which you’d be working with around a 36-105mm equivalent focal length, depending on camera model.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED REVIEW ONLINE: TAMRON 24-70mm