Which Wide Angle Zoom Lens Do You Recommend?

[Jonathan Huyer]

A friend of mine just tried out a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 for his Nikon (yes, I'm friends with a Nikon owner ). Unfortunately, he was not happy with it and will likely be returning it (the lens, not the camera). He put it through a battery of tests and sent me the results. Focusing, CA, corner sharpness, and vignetting were all fairly low grade.

[thekingb]

A friend of mine just tried out a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 for his Nikon (yes, I'm friends with a Nikon owner ). Unfortunately, he was not happy with it and will likely be returning it (the lens, not the camera). He put it through a battery of tests and sent me the results. Focusing, CA, corner sharpness, and vignetting were all fairly low grade.

QC varies quite a bit with the Tamron 17-50. One copy I purchased (property of the school I work at) is tack sharp and has no focus issues; it's a real gem whose wide open IQ is as good as the Canon 17-55 IMO. But then its zoom ring broke about 6 months ago. Good thing Tamron' warranty process was very easy to navigate, and the lens is back in service. A second copy I bought for myself was so bad that I returned it. Go figure. I did not buy another copy and chose the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 instead. That has worked out fairly well so far, but an upcoming Fall trip to Rocky Mountain National Park will probably *require* me to purchase an all purpose zoom (since 30mm on APS-C is as wide as I can go right now, and my next shortest lens is my 70-300L).

David and John's analyses below are all you really need....low light use and/or portraits, or primarily outdoors? The photography world is full of happy owners of both lenses.