Originally Posted by patham
It does look like at f/2.8, maybe the Tamron is a little sharper at 17mm. Stop them both down to f/4.0 and the Canon seems to pull ahead. Compare them wide open at their longest focal lengths though, 55mm and 50mm. Looks like at the other end the Canon is sharper. Stopped down to f/4.0 they're very similar at all focal lengths.
Having owned this lens in the past... it does seem to have underperformed that test. I got incredible results from that lens. The only reason I parted with it is because I got a 5DII and wanted to put the money toward the 24-70mm f/2.8L.
Compared to the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC, there's no contest, the Canon is much, much sharper. Especially wide open, which is the whole point of having f/2.8. I think the combination of f/2.8 and IS really make the Canon worth the money.
Originally Posted by patham
I like the Manfrotto 055XPROB aluminum tripod. You could upgrade to the carbon fiber version, but they're similar, only real difference is the weight of the tripod. With that I have the Manfrotto 327RC2 joystick head, which I've found to be very nice. This is a heavy set up to lug around though, so be prepared to get a workout. This might be a bit of overkill for you, since I'm often mounting a 5DII and 70-200 f/2.8, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what works for me.
Originally Posted by patham
For a flash, if you don't want to spend the money for the 580ex II, I recommend the 430ex II. It's a good balance of features to price. If you ever want another flash to do some multiple flash set ups, you could then get the 580ex II, and the 430ex II will still work as a slave. Could maybe put the money you save now toward a 50mm f/1.4. []