Most of the alphabet seems to feature at some point in the Tamron's full title, but these abbreviations promise plenty of features. SP signifies Super-Performance, based on three XR (Extra-Refractive) elements, an LD (Low-Dispersion) element and two Aspherical elements in its construction.

A fast aperture standard zoom with Vibration Compensation for Nikon or Canon APS-C sensor digital SLR cameras.

Excellent resolution in the centre at most apertures and focal lengths; Vibration Compensation is very effective; Good value for money

Falloff in resolution at 50mm and f/2.8; Flare control

Steve's SnapShot Cons Bottom Line Pick This Up If...

Very well built; Comfortable controls; Capable VC system; Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture; Produces beautiful results when stopped down; Appealing focal range; Half the price of it's Nikon and Canon competitors

Quite soft when wide open; Small amount of visible CA; I felt the zoom ring had a bit too much resistance; AF and VC systems make a good amount of noise; Some front focusing was noted while capturing indoor portraits

The Tamron 17-50/2.8 Di II VC is an update of the earlier, non stabilized Tamron 17-50/2.8 Di II. "VC" or Vibration Compensation is Tamron's equivalent to Canon's IS (Image Stabilization) and Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction).

A full Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC Lens review is planned, but here is a quick lab-only review: Preliminary findings from lab-only testing have been somewhat disheartening however. You can see the image quality results in the ISO 12233 resolution chart link above.

This high-speed digital only ultrawide ($650, street) upgrades Tamron's nonstabilized 17–50mm f/2.8 ($460, street). Like the earlier lens (which remains in the lineup), this version uses an Extra Refractive (XR) element, two elements of low dispersion, and three of compound aspheric glass-adding up...

A fast aperture standard zoom with Vibration Compensation for Nikon or Canon APS-C sensor digital SLR cameras.

Excellent resolution in the centre at most apertures and focal lengths; Vibration Compensation is very effective; Good value for money

Falloff in resolution at 50mm and f/2.8; Flare control

The Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] VC is a very promising lens based on its specifications. However, it falls somewhat short of the high expectations especially when considering the excellent performance of its non-VC variant.

Features & handling This is a well-designed lens that feels really nice. The zoom ring is a good size and has a positive feel to it. The focusing ring is very loose in manual mode, which is a bit disappointing considering the rest of the build.

Tamron's SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC lens is designed exclusively for cameras with APS-C sized sensors and covers the popular standard zoom range of focal lengths. On Nikon cameras it is equivalent to 26-78mm in 35mm format, while on the Canon EOS 40D body we used for our tests, the equivalent...