In summary
Fast wide-angle zoom lenses have become increasingly popular in recent times, with the proliferation of lower-priced ‘full frame’ DSLR cameras. With the SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens, Tamron has issued a serious challenge to Canon and Nikon and provided an alternative that is sure to attract plenty of interest among serious enthusiasts and pro photographers.
This isn’t a cheap lens ““ but neither are the camera manufacturers’ alternatives. At an RRP of AU$1599, its zoom range is wider than the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, which is currently selling for roughly $300 more and about $900 cheaper than Nikon’s AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, which is slightly wider. (Sony doesn’t offer a comparable lens for its ‘full frame’ A-mount cameras.)
Outdoor photographers will welcome the moisture-resistant construction of this lens as well as the fluorine coating on the front element that repels water and dirt and makes it easy to keep clean. Architectural photographers will find relatively low distortion produced by this lens valuable for shooting exteriors and interiors.
In summary: Photographers looking for a fast, wide-angle zoom lens will find this lens represents excellent value for money.
Full review
Announced at Photokina in September 2014, Tamron’s SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens is now on sale locally for Canon and Nikon cameras, providing an attractive, more affordable alternative to similar wide-angle zoom lenses from Canon and Nikon. (Designed for ‘full-frame’ cameras, it’s cheaper than similar lenses from Canon and Nikon and, unlike its rivals, includes VC stabilisation. The Sony version will be released later without VC as Sony DSLRs have sensor-shift stabilisation.) We received the lens with a Canon mount for our review.
Side view of the new Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens. (Source: Tamron.)
The new lens is currently offered in Canon and Nikon (with Sony mounts to come). It joins the existing 15mm ultra-wide and 200mm telephoto lenses that also offer maximum apertures of f/2.8 to provide an extended focal length range coverage.
The optical design comprises 18 elements in 13 groups and includes three Low Dispersion elements, two Glass Moulded Aspherical elements and one XGM (eXpanded Glass Moulded Aspherical) element to correct most aberrations. VC (Vibration Compensation) stabilisation supports shooting at slow shutter speeds and in low light conditions with a significant reduction in camera shake.
The diagram above shows the components of Tamron’s VC (Vibration Compensation) stabilisation system. (Source: Tamron.)
Proprietary eBAND Coating for outstanding detail and performance suppresses tangential reflections, while a new generation of BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating has been optimised for ultra-wide angles of view. Together, they effectively address ghosting and flare, yielding images with extra clarity. A fluorine coating has been applied to the front element to repel water and dirt, and make it easier to remove smudges.
A USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) autofocus motor provides quick and precise focusing, with high torque and quiet operation to suit both still and video shooting. Full-time manual focus override enables manual fine-tuning of focus any time, even when the AF system is engaged. The rounded 9-blade diaphragm produces attractive bokeh with selective focus or shallow depth of field shooting techniques.
The lens is supplied with a large, fit-over front cap and a standard end cap. Purchasers also receive a serial number and product key for downloading SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron software for converting raw files.
Who’s it for?
While this lens can be used on any camera with a compatible mount, it is best suited to cameras with 36 x 24 mm sensors. (There are plenty of alternatives available for APS-C cropped-sensor DSLRs from Canon and Nikon as well as third-party manufacturers ““ many of them cheaper.)
On a ‘full-frame’ DSLR, the 15-30mm zoom range covers subject types as diverse as landscapes, travel and street photography. The fast f/2.8 maximum aperture remains constant across the zoom range and, combined with the 9-bladed circular diaphragm, delivers attractive bokeh effects even at wide coverage angles.
The USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) focusing motor makes this lens ideal for recording movies since it is virtually silent when autofocusing. Full-time manual focus can be engaged without having to exit the AF mode.
Build and Ergonomics
Although made mostly from high quality plastics on a metal base, the build quality of this Tamron lens meets professional-grade standards. It’s large and heavy (weighing 1100 grams) and feels very solid in the hands.
The lens barrel tapers gently inwards from the built-in double lens hood to the solid metal mounting plate. This double-hood structure has been developed to improve the durability of the zoom mechanism as well as protecting the front element of the lens, which bulges forward and is more vulnerable to damage than flat lenses. As the large, convex front element cannot be protected by a filter, it has been given a fluorine coating that repels water and dirt and is easier to keep clean.
The zoom ring is located just behind the trailing edge of the lens hood (about 53 mm back from the front edge of the largest ‘petals’), separated by a narrow silver band carrying branding information. It is roughly 28 mm wide and carries a 24 mm wide band of broadly-ridged rubber.
Focal length markings stamped on the 4 mm wide smooth area behind this band indicate the 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 24mm and 30mm positions. These line up against a white mark on the 8 mm wide fixed section of the barrel between the zoom and focusing rings.
The focusing ring is 15 mm wide and covered with a similar rubber cladding to the zoom ring. Behind it is a distance scale with values in metres and feet, ranging from a close limit of 0.28 m to infinity. Roughly a quarter of a turn is required to encompass the focusing range.
The focusing and zoom rings turn very smoothly with the right degree of resistance. Both focusing and zooming are fully internal so the barrel length remains the same, regardless of any adjustments.
Behind the distance scale and on the left hand side of the lens barrel are two sliders. The upper one switches between auto and manual focusing while the lower one switches the VC stabilisation system on and off. No intermediate positions is provided.
A large red dot on the steeply sloping section of the barrel behind the sliders provides a very visible indicator for mounting the lens on a camera body. The metal mounting plate is solid and fits securely on the camera. It is sealed to prevent moisture from entering the lens.
The large, fit-over lens cap is too big to slip easily into a pocket smaller than a jacket pocket. But it is very solidly built and provides good protection against impact shock, while also effectively shielding the front element of the lens. (This is important as protective filters cannot be fitted.)
Performance
We tested the review lens on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera body, capturing both JPEG and CR2.RAW files for assessment. Subjective assessments of test shots showed the lens to be a good performer, producing plucky images with plenty of contrast and detail and good edge-to-edge sharpness at mid-range aperture settings. The expected edge softening at wide apertures was less than we expected for such a wide-angle lens.
Imatest confirmed our subjective assessments and showed the lens to be capable of exceeding the expectations for the camera’s sensor at all focal length settings with measurements in the centre of the frame. Resolution fell below expectations at wider apertures and also from about f/8 on, where diffraction kicked in. The graph below shows the results of our tests.
Lateral chromatic aberration remained within the negligible band for all focal length and aperture settings and we found very little coloured fringing in our test shots. In the graph below showing the results of our tests, the red line marks the border between negligible and low CA.
Vignetting (edge and corner shading) was also effectively negligible and undetectable in JPEG files taken with the Peripheral Illumination Correction function disabled. Assessments of uncorrected raw files showed little in the way of corner darkening at f/2.8 with any focal length setting.
Rectilinear distortion was less than we expected for such a wide-angle lens, although barrel distortion was quite obvious in converted CR2.RAW files. By 20mm, this had transitioned into very slight pincushion distortion, which became more noticeable as the focal length was zoomed to 30mm. Both distortions can be corrected in-camera in the latest DSLRs as well as post capture in standard raw file converters so neither problem is a deal-breaker for this lens.
Autofocusing was generally fast and accurate and almost silent, thanks to the USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) AF motor. Manual focusing was straightforward, thanks to a solid focusing ring, which turned smoothly.
The VC (Vibration Compensation) stabilisation system enabled us to hand-hold the camera at shutter speeds as slow as 1/4 second with the 30mm focal length. This is equivalent to just over three f-stops of shake compensation.
Strong backlighting was handled extremely well, and it was difficult to force the lens to reveal signs of flare and ghosting, even when a bright light source was inside the image frame. Contrast remained high in backlit shots and there were no signs of veiling flare.
With a close focusing limit of 28 cm, this lens isn’t ideal for shooting close-ups and bokeh is seldom a highlight of fast, wide-angle lenses. Nevertheless, out-of-focus highlights were quite pleasing in shots taken with f/2.8 at the minimum focusing distance. Some outlining could be seen in the brightest highlights but otherwise transitions were mostly smooth.
Conclusion
Fast wide-angle zoom lenses have become increasingly popular in recent times, with the proliferation of lower-priced ‘full frame’ DSLR cameras. With the SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens, Tamron has issued a serious challenge to Canon and Nikon and provided an alternative that is sure to attract plenty of interest among serious enthusiasts and pro photographers.
This isn’t a cheap lens ““ but neither are the camera manufacturers’ alternatives. At an RRP of AU$1599, its zoom range is wider than the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, which is currently selling for roughly $300 more and about $900 cheaper than Nikon’s AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, which is slightly wider. For Sony A-mount users, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II lens (model SAL1635Z2) could be seen as roughly equivalent to the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens. It’s listed on Sony’s website at an RRP of AU$3599.
Outdoor photographers will welcome the moisture-resistant construction of this lens as well as the fluorine coating on the front element that repels water and dirt and makes it easy to keep clean. Architectural photographers will find relatively low distortion produced by this lens valuable for shooting exteriors and interiors.
In summary: Photographers looking for a fast, wide-angle zoom lens will find this lens represents excellent value for money.
SPECS
Picture angle: 110 degrees 32 minutes to 71 degrees 35 minutes (APS-C Picture Angle: 85 ° 51′ – 49 ° 53′)
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 18 elements in 13 groups, including three Low Dispersion elements, two Glass Moulded Aspherical elements and one XGM (eXpanded Glass Moulded Aspherical) element
Lens mounts: Canon, Nikon, Sony (A-mount)
Diaphragm Blades: 9 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive)
Stabilisation: Yes (Vibration Compensation)
Minimum focus: 28 cm
Maximum magnification: 1:5 (at f=30mm: MFD 0.28m)
Filter size: n.a.
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 98.4 x 143 mm
Weight: 1,100 grams
Standard Accessories: Front and rear caps, integrated flower-shaped lens hood, SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron software
TESTS
Based on JPEG files taken with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 15mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
Vignetting at 20mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
Vignetting at 30mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
Distortion at 15mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
Distortion at 20mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
Distortion at 30mm f/2.8 (taken from CR2.RAW file).
15mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/5 second at f/11.
30mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/4 second at f/11.
15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/30 second at f/10.
30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/30 second at f/10.
15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/80 second at f/10.
Crop from the above image enlarged to 100% to show coloured fringing.
30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/80 second at f/10.
Crop from the above image enlarged to 100% to show coloured fringing.
Close-up at 15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/640 second at f/2.8.
Close-up at 30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/1000 second at f/2.8.
Close-up at 15mm focal length, f/2.8 showing bokeh; 30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/6400 second.
15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/160 second at f/2.8.
15mm focal length, ISO 250, 1/15 second at f/10.
Strong backlighting at 15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/80 second at f/10.
Strong backlighting at 30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/50 second at f/10.
Flare with light source just outside the frame; 15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/125 second at f/11.
Flare with light source inside the frame; 15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/11.
30mm focal length, ISO 640, 1/8 second at f/8.
28mm focal length, ISO 640, 1/10 second at f/10.
15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/15 second at f/9.
15mm focal length, ISO 1600, 1/15 second at f/8.
15mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/10.
15mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/9.
15mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/11.
30mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/500 second at f/11.
30mm focal length, ISO 250, 1/30 second at f/13.
17mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/1600 second at f/8.
24mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/2500 second at f/8.
30mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/5.6.
Rating
RRP: AU$1599; US$1199
- Build: 9.0
- Handling: 8.5
- Image quality: 9.0
- Versatility: 8.5