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ASSESSMENT:
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Appearance: **
mechanical quality: ***
AF function: **
Price-Performance: **
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Overall rating: **
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GENERAL:
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The Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 Di II LD SP Asph. IF is an ultra wide-angle zoom for system cameras with an APS-C sensor, Nikon's DX this sensor size. On cameras with small image sensors - often referred to incorrectly as "full-frame" - does not work, the Tamron 10-24mm because the illuminated image circle is too small for. The Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 has so far proved in different situations as a decent, but not outstanding ultra wide-angle zoom, which always require a post photos via software. So it's a lens in which you have to make some compromises. Whether this compromise pain such that they will refrain from buying the lens, certainly depends also on the situations in which you want to shoot it and how high are the personal requirements to the picture quality.
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POSITIVE:
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Positive falls first of all on the very large for an ultra-wide angle zoom range. It ranges from 10mm (108 ° angle) to 24mm (60 ° angle); that's more than most competitors offer. The catch also either 10 or 11mm, but ends at 16 or 20mm or indeed they end at 24mm, but only beginning at 12mm. Only Nikon's DX Nikkor 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5G has a focal length range as the Tamron, with the Tamron but only 60% of that cost, which has to be paid for Nikon's ultra wide angle.
Favors can also compactness, the relatively low weight of the lens and the consistently decent quality materials and workmanship. Zoom and focus ring run sufficiently attenuated and without much resistance.
Sharpness and resolution in the center are good, even with the prestigious Nikon D7100. Even at full aperture, there is in the center sharpness is technically not much to criticize, stopping down to at least 5.6, better 8 or 11 brings an additional quality gain.
The susceptibility to flare (absorbed. Lens flares) in direct contrast or strong side light persists, despite the large arched front lens within limits, which is a pleasant surprise. Nevertheless, the use of the lens hood is strongly recommended, and not least because this piece of plastic also represents a degree of protection against mechanical damage of the front lens.
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NEUTRAL:
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That there is no FTM focus - FTM represents "full-time manual" and means that the photographer having to switch at any time without explicitly on the lens auto focus (AF) to manual focus (MF), intervene in the focus and can track the focus manually - not overly interfere with a lens with such a large depth of field as the Tamron 10-24mm.
The contrast rendition is not just in lower light such that they could be described as very good, but overall as well be considered acceptable.
The Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 vignetting pretty intense especially at full aperture, z. T. by more than one exposure value. However, it can reduce the vignetting by stopping down and correct problems in image processing.
The light intensity is 3.5 at 10mm and decreasing to 4.5 in the range of normal at 24mm in this price and performance class. Who wants this respect more, must dig deeper into their pockets and live primarily with a larger and heavier lens.
An optical stabilizer is absent and in this focal length range m. E. dispensable, since such a stabilizer price, weight and dimensions would drive up.
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NEGATIVE:
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Unfortunately, some unsightly details tarnish the hitherto good impression.
The autofocus of Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 has significant problems with the precise adjustments, even via the central cross-type sensor of the D7100 in low light. Under the same lighting conditions, I had to focus a lens fainter as the DX Nikkor 55-300mm / 4.5-5.6G VR no difficulty in AF mode precisely and in an acceptable speed. And manual focusing is just in low light not just the pure joy, not a regular live view mode with focus-zoom function.
The distortion is very high even for an ultra wide-angle lens. Circles are represented mainly at the edges as ellipses, squares distorted as rectangles, straight lines bend in such a way that from shelves are veritable Flitzebögen. In an image processing can be corrected although these aberrations, but not completely, and always with the loss of a part of the image. This has been criticized in numerous specialist tests.
It is the same way with the substantial dissolution and loss of sharpness to the image edges. Offenblendig this applies to all ultra wide angle, but can this loss when Tamron 10-24 / 3.5-4.5 by stopping only reduce but not completely eliminate, even with diaphragm 8 or 11, as opposed to competition. Again, this only confirms what is to be read also in numerous technical tests and reviews. Remedy for this image processing naturally not create. This problem is quite dramatic, if z. B. when shooting from a tripod, a neutral density filter (ND filter, neutral density filter) is used. Despite the use of high quality brand Filter (B + W, Rodenstock) the edge blur increases even more, and the resolution still further.
Above average is also the tendency of the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 to chromatic aberration (CA). An image processing corrects most CA although quite good, but overall avoid the deficiencies referred to in the picture quality that you unprocessed "just" can pass it on to other people photos. Also CA are a problem that certainly affects all ultra wide angle, but none has so struggling so much like the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5
There is no weather protection, the front lens and bayonet against the ingress of dust and moisture protection to good and actually rather poor last. When it rains, so you should, even if one has a sealed against dust and splash camera body, without taking pictures with the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5. Now Tamron applies not be objective though with a dust and weather protection, but it is negative for the photographer in very practical point of view, that such a lack protection. In the final vote I let this aspect of course not be included precisely because Tamron promises no dust and weather protection for this lens.
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COMPARISON:
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Realistically, you have to consider when purchasing a Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 also consider the cost of a software like Adobe Lightroom or DxO OpticsPro at least in part - and then allowed to handle the question whether looking for a little more money not lenses a better picture quality gets.
So z. B. is the Sigma 10-20mm / 3.5 EX DC HSM less than 100 more expensive than the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5, while the Sigma 10-20mm / 4-5.6 EX DC HSM costs just about 10 more as the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5. For this you must renounce 4mm focal length at the top, but gets in both cases, an ultra wide-angle, the respect sharpness, resolution (particularly in the border regions!), Auto focus, distortion and chromatic aberrations clearly performs better.
The Tokina AT-X 11-16mm / 2.8 Pro DX II offers not only applicable for Sigma lenses aforementioned advantages in addition a consistently higher intensity, however, is very limited in the range of focal lengths. Respect. the image quality I think it is the best ultra-wide angle for APS-C cameras. Not I can consider here the newly published Tokina AT-X 11-20mm / 2.8 Pro DX, the yoy. the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm / 2.8 over 4mm longer focal lens at the long end and price is about on a par with Nikon's ultra wide angle.
Said Nikon DX Nikkor 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5G exceeds also for all technical tests and test personal photos the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 in resolution, sharpness, contrast range, distortion and AF performance very significantly, but is probably not much better that the price difference vs.. an ultra wide angle of Sigma or Tokina 11-16mm would / 2.8 warranted. However, it provides only one of the objectives mentioned here explicitly protection against splash water and dust.
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CONCLUSION:
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The Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 Di II LD SP Asph. IF is a limited in terms of image quality ultra wide angle and is aimed at amateur photographers with a relatively limited budget that can live with the listed optical limitations or control their image processing well and are prepared this for every photo with the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5 to strive -4.5 to produce presentable results. Tamron here takes her mouth with advertising messages such as "SP stands for Super Performance, ie high-performance lenses, which are characterized by excellent optical and mechanical quality" plentiful full and is not justified in this respect its own claim.
You can take the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 indeed create for example ordinary landscape and architectural shots, but it must engage with the photo editing software in their bag of tricks and correct. But is produced by a one "impressive masterpiece of optical engineering", the "brilliant and sharp images up to the edge" the Tamron 10-24mm discussed here / 3.5-4.5 miles away.
The Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 is therefore evaluated a total of 2 stars just right. Because there are image quality and (auto) focus the crucial criteria of a camera lens. And in both disciplines, the Tamron 10-24mm reaches / 3.5-4.5 not more than 2 stars.
A BUY recommendation I can not pronounce the Tamron 10-24mm / 3.5-4.5 therefore.
