the age old question: Canon 17-40 vs Tamron 17-35

[mattchow]

which one and why? Ive been looking at these 2 lenses for the past 2 months and cant figure out which one to get.

[Abel]

ooohhh good question.

the one thing i like about the tamron is the price and the f2.8 at the wide end. price on the tamron is about $210 less which is always a good thing.

i own the canon 17-40 f4 and i love it. i havent tried the tamron but i bet there are people who swear by either lens. ps the canon is only f4

[cbuhay]

I have the Tamron, and I think that my copy is relatively sharp wide open, and it's absolutely amazing from f/4 on! I have heard that there are good and bad copies out there; maybe due to Tamron's QC being not as exacting as Canon's. Also, I have the Canon 28-135 IS, and I think that has a little bit faster AF than the Tamron. That being said, when I have paying gigs, I usually use the Tamron because the speed of AF isn't usually an issue.

Since I have never used the 17-40, I don't have an idea of how it performs, but given that's it's an L series lens, I'm sure it performs admirably. Some things that attracted me to the Tamron were

1) Excellent fit and finish
2) Excellent pseudo-macro capability (I can zoom in within 4-6'' of something)
3) Sharpness
4) f/2.8 max aperture
5) PRICE!!! -- I got mine used for under $300 (I think $270)

Overall, this is probably my favorite lens. This is the lens that lives on my camera. And if I had to take only one lens on a trip, this would be it!!

Note-- I have seen some posts elsewhere that have discussed where this lens is built. Apparently there are two places: Japan & Taiwan (i think). Mine is made in Japan, and I don't know if build standards are higher or lower than the ones built in Taiwan. The posts I read suggested that there may be a discrepancy between those two places though. So if you're planning to purchase one, make sure it's the Japanese version.

[mattchow]

well now with the rebates there is only a 140$ difference. Do you have any photos with the tamron wide open?

[cbuhay]

Hi Matt,

I don't have any pics of the Tamron wide open in my gallery. I'll probably have to dig one up. In my gallery, most of the Tamron pics are at f/4.0. Check out my gallery entitled "Laura" for examples at f/4.0

Give me a couple of days to find a few at f/2.8. I'm sure I have a some...

Hope this helps,
-christian.

[Steelsun]

Here's a good set of reviews for the Tamron: http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/s...amp;thecat=998
Also contains sme links to pics.

[Abel]

what i do when shopping for a lens is i do read the reviews like the ones posted at fredmiranda.com but i also sift thru images on pbase.

u can go to pbase.com and go to thei Camera Database and pretty much select and lens or camera from just about every manufacturer. then i just sift thru all of the images and take not of what the exif data is that is posted and then make a decision...

Canon 17-40 f4 L at Pbase.com


Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 at Pbase.com

take some time and look through those images... i think that will help you see the quality of both lenses...

[mattchow]

just placed an order for the tamron from digitalfoto.com, they have a pretty nice return policy and its even extended for the holiday season. so ultimately if i dont like the tamron i will go for the canon. that f/2.8 aperature is just so darn attractive.

[Abel]

nice!!!

post some shots when u getit and let us know how you like it!!

[Soopah]

I admit it, I'm a brand snob for the most part. Ok, that's not even true. I just don't like Tamrons. If I had to pick Tamron vs. Canon, I'd pick Canon every time. Unless Sigma made a lens that was comparable as well. In that case, I'd probably buy the Sigma. I really love the clarity and general heft of my Sigma lenes. :)

[mattchow]

Originally Posted by Soopah

I admit it, I'm a brand snob for the most part. Ok, that's not even true. I just don't like Tamrons. If I had to pick Tamron vs. Canon, I'd pick Canon every time. Unless Sigma made a lens that was comparable as well. In that case, I'd probably buy the Sigma. I really love the clarity and general heft of my Sigma lenes. :)

the sigma in the same flavor got horrible reviews everywhere i read about it, plus if i use the tamron and dont like it, its gonna get returned. i love my 28-75 so i hate faith in the 17-35 as well.

[mattchow]

just got my tamron 17-35 from digital foto club, made in japan. first run shots look awesome so far. gonna try it tomorrow when a parade passes through the street in front of me.

[Abel]

parade huh... very cool. when and where?

look forward to seeing pics..

[mattchow]

heres a quick shot from the parade.

[swanny338]

color looks very nice, cant really tell how sharp it is cause of the kinda low quailty it was saved at for web use

would you mind posting a 100% crop of like the text on the door? just so we can see how sharp it is?