Actually, I never wanted to go back Objective third party, and - bingo! - The first copy of this Tamron proved equal to the cucumber. Tendency to mislead rattling focus pumps, Auto Focus (AF) -Feinjustage not helped. The same picture on my 7D and 50D of the old, so it was clearly the objective. Amazon took it kindly ado back (my first time ...). I got the second copy to me he prefers for 100 euros more, unfortunately the local dealer because I could test it in the store there. And it worked perfectly equal. The rapid test also revealed that his lenses are properly adjusted precisely (all image edges equally sharp). Schepp built lenses are in fact also an old Tamron's disease thanks arg relaxed final. And now I'm done right!
For essentially the optics: The Tamron shows the full frame distinct strengths and weaknesses, but these are typical of such fast standard zoom with thick lenses (optical compromises inevitable) (!). At full aperture the Tamron is slightly soft, especially at the image edges, but still quite acceptable for z. B. cropped portraits. From aperture 4 there is consistently nice and sharp. Particularly striking is the vignetting at maximum aperture at all focal lengths. But even that disappears when you close the visor quickly. Vignetting fall yes especially in landscapes unpleasant (heaven), and the one photographed mostly with a smaller, unproblematic when Tamron aperture. Attention: the now very good correction of lens errors in the 5D3 (Vignette + more recently fringing) in JPEGs does not work with third-party lenses. However great is the barrel distortion at 24mm, which quickly degrades luckily when turning the zooming ring. As already are worlds apart as a zoom and specialized wide-angle fixed focal length (z. B. from Zeiss). At 70 mm towards the distortion changes the Pincushion, which can also make subsequent equalization needed about at city shots.
Bokeh: Picturesque background blur is for bright optics from f = 2.8 is definitely an issue, if you shoot creatively. And because the Tamron strikes mediocre, I must say after prolonged use (Dec. 2013). If many highlights play outside the focal plane, the bokeh can be quite uneasy (is again typical of such zoom). For this, however makes the Tamron with his noble 9-louvre nice round reflexes. Overall, the Bokeh is acceptable, even if it does not come naturally to top fixed focal length zoom.
Stabilizer, auto focus: The stabilizer is a big plus, I have the Tamron already sharp hand shots at 1/5 s succeeded (in silent mode on the 5D3, which dampens efficiently the mirror shock). Excellent. The ultrasonic drive is quiet and at the EOS 5D3 also generally quite reliable and accurate. However, not the fastest, it must be emphasized. For Action should also be better off the stabilizer because the Tamron VC else must settle as the Canon IS felt until after release and may delay the focusing. Here the new EF expected 24-70 / 2.8 bring the main advantage: It has Canon's AF-drive the latest generation. Here are a sensitive rotation angle sensor in the lens AF system of 5D3 accurate feedback on the position of the movable lens, which makes the fast phase AF as precise as the slow contrast AF. So if the default zoom wants to fully exploit the great AF system of 5D3 (and 1DX) and thus photograph a lot of action, travels by Canon certainly much better. What bothers me is not that so, because I always insets in such situations L-Teles / telephoto zoom Canon. So enough for me a little fussy Tamron first time.
Haptics & processing: for the price fabulously well! Who does not have the technical precision plastic basically nose turns up (even many noble L Canon lens is set in upscale plastic), which can only be delighted. The focus and the zoom ring run clean, sensitive, yet tight enough without labbriges game. The kindly belonging to the facilities focus lock switch is not really necessary (I'd rather anchoring it on my Canon EF-S 17-55 / 2.8 with its sliding tube). The zoom ring turns the other way around as with Canon, but you get used to quickly. The focus ring is long enough translated to therefore manually can sensitively.
Conclusion: Those who do not need the super fastest Autfokus and can dispense at full aperture to the last possible ounce of focus, which is to have on the market, is in the Tamron zoom a great alternative to Canon's new 24-70 / 2.8. The value for money is great, if you caught a good specimen. Unlike the Canon you get a highly efficient stabilizer. For the optical shortcomings, the somewhat slow AF drive and Shopping risk there together 1 star deduction (2 stars would be too hard to me).
Pluses (optical based on full-frame):
++ Super mechanics
++ Super processing
++ Excellent value for money, because if one gets a good specimen.
+ Total ordinary optics for as a Zoom
+ For as a high-intensity push pleasantly low tendency to color fringing (chromatic aberration) to contrast scenes
+ Acceptable distortion - except at the focal ends
+ Round reflexes bokeh thanks to 9-blade aperture
+ Very good stability, depending on photographers hand shaker and mirrors Impact quite to 4 aperture profit in it
+ Good, quieter ultrasonic drive
+ Splash protection
+ Focus lock switch
+ Ordinary Streulichblende
Neutral:
o filter diameter of 82 mm can make new purchases necessary.
Minuses (optical based on full-frame):
- Rrrrriiisiiikooo buying: probability significantly higher than the original lenses for trouble with the first copy
- Blatant barrel distortion at 24mm
- Pincushion distortion at 70 mm can stand out with certain motifs
- Very strong vignetting at maximum aperture at all focal lengths
- Bokeh can be very restless with many highlights in rough background
- No automatic correction of lens errors JPEGs in-camera
- AF drive is not the fastest
- For Action may cause noticeable delays release of active VR (stabilizer)
FOOTNOTE for all that fine-tune the autofocus itself:
The standard procedure for. B. with Spyder Lenscal is indeed the fact finely adjust at maximum aperture (= smallest possible depth of field) rather in the vicinity (in the long range, the Lenscal shrinks as a lens eh quickly unusable mini size). The 5D3 also allows chic legally separate calibration of wide-angle and telephoto. But be careful! The Tamron behaves very differently, especially at 70 mm in the short and long ranges. Both specimens that I've thoroughly tested, showed at close range a huge front focus (nearly equal values), but in the remote area of focus sits entirely clean without correction. This applies to my 5D3 as well as for my 7D and 50D. Two samples do not have a perfect statistical power, but it is nevertheless difficult to surmise that this Tamron zoom basically behaves. Therefore, I recommend to adjust more at longer distances at the telephoto end - or not at all. Etc. best test after adjustment equal out, for. Example, signs with text record on practical distance with Single Shot, focused to reference again manually using Live View and low magnification.
