Well I started writing this post quite a while ago but I got lazy. 😛 When I was in New York about 1 1/2 month ago on the day I left for home I bought a new lens to replace my kitlens (18-55mm). Well, that’s what ended up happening though. I was first thinking of getting a wide angle lens to compliment the kitlens and was trying out the Tamron SP AF 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II, Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG IF ASF, Tokina 12-24mm F4 Aspherical and the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3,5-4,5 USM.
In the end I started thinking that I really don’t shoot that much wide angle at this point in time so I started looking around at a replacement for the kitlens and after some test shooting I decided to buy the Tamron SP 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II. The reason I didn’t buy the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is because it’s more than twice the price I paid for the Tamron. The advantages of that the Canon lens might have over the Tamron aren’t worth the price premium for me at this point in time.
I’ve been happily shooting with the Tamron and it has (logically) become my walk around lens replacing the kitlens (which now purely serves as back up) and I’ve been using my nifty fifty (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II) less often. Eventhough I still carry it along everywhere I go because you never know where it might get in handy. Plus it’s not that big and heavy. For the people that want some more reading material and reviews of the Tamron just follow the links posted below.
- http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/1750_diII_a016.asp
- http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-II-Lens-Review.aspx
- http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/tamron_17-50_review.html
- http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/289-tamron-af-17-50mm-f28-sp-xr-di-ii-ld-aspherical-if-canon-test-report–review
- http://www.canon-reviews.com/reviews/tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-di-ii
- http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/355/cat/23
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