Tamron 28-75 Review

Did you know that Sigma and Tamron make lenses for Canon and Nikon cameras?

The Canon 30D in my camera bag uses many lenses, both Canon lenses as well as lenses made by Tamron and Sigma. Thus, I have decided to write this Tamron 28-75 review.

When a customer is purchasing a digital SLR, there is an alternative to get it with a kit lens or just buy the body. At the time, the kit lens was not respected at all by most photography websites.

After doing a ton of research and fretting over which lens would be the best one that I could buy for my budget, I landed on the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I have upgraded my camera body a couple of times, but my trusty 28-75 lens has remained my prime all purpose lens.

Well, that is not exactly the truth. I purchased another third party lens recently, a Sigma 18-250mm super zoom lens. I thought it was great having a lens with such a wide focal range. I would never miss another shot because I didn't have the correct lens on my digital slr.

My Tamron lens sat in the camera bag for a couple of months. Not too long ago, I took it out and shook off the dust, attached it to my Canon 30D, and took the shots you see at the right. I was once more in love with that lens. The sharpness is amazing.

I have added a close up of the close up of the Sunflower so you can get an idea of just how much detail the Tamron lens really does capture.

Unassuming in Appearance, But Pretentious in Performance

The Tamron lens does not have a thin red ring around it, nor is it light grey in color. These are both possible indications of a Canon L lens. This is to say that the third party lenses do not get the same respect as Canon L lenses.

There are two things I have come to appreciate about my main walk-about lens.

Number one is the wide aperture of 2.8. It is constant across the whole focal range, meaning that it does not matter what focal length you choose, you will be getting the speediest shutter speed. This is truly necessary when you are shooting in below perfect light situations.

Next is the fast focus. I have used some Canon L lenses, and my Tamrom performs just as well as those pricey models. The bokeh is really nice too. If you are not acquainted with the term "bokeh", bokeh is when the background of a photo is pleasantly blurred. This happens when you shoot your picture at a fairly wide aperture (like 2.8). The plane of focus is quite shallow, rendering the background and foreground as blurry.

Pros Like This Lens Too

Not too long ago, I was talking with a photographer friend of mine who was doing some work at my school. He knows that I am also a photographer. He was not using his tripod as he normally did. That's when he told me that he had just acquired this "amazing little lens" for his Canon 5D. He said that I should really think about getting one because of how light and versatile it was.

It turns out that he was talking about a Tamron 28-75 Canon lens. I was quite shocked that a pro photographer would even think to attach a third party lens to such an amazing camera as the 5D.

Thinking back however, I should not have been that surprised. After all, I have been stating the benefits of this excellent lens for years. But I had generally thought of the Tamron 28-75 lens as a beginner Canon digital slr lens.

I was completely wrong... needless to say. It is a fantastic alternative for amateurs and pros alike.

So, just to recap, you will be pleasantly amazed after shooting a few frames at how nicely the lens handles, the high quality images that it delivers, the quick focus, and the pleasing bokeh. Oh, and the value. You will save a bundle of cash if you buy this lens instead of an L lens of the same focal length and aperture.