The Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD delivers much better image and build quality than you'd expect from a budget lens, especially one with a wide-angle, f/2.8 design.

Very affordable; Wide angle of view; Crisp optics; Full-frame coverage; Strong build quality; Fluorine, dust, and splash protection.

Edge sharpness suffers wide open; Some pincushion distortion when zoomed in.

Tamron is on quite a roll with its initial batch of full-frame lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras. The 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD ($899) is its second affordable f/2.8 zoom, pairing well as a wide-angle companion to last year's 28-75mm f/2.8 Di RXD standard zoom. It's an excellent value, and while its range is shorter and it's not quite as optically sublime as Sony's high-end FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, it wins big on price and earns our Editors' Choice award in the process. Compact Wide Zoom The 17-28mm is a small zoom with a big, ultra-wide view. It measures 3.9 by 2.9 inches (HD), weighs just 14.8 ounces, and supports 67mm front filters. It's notably easier to carry than the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, which is 4.8 by 3.5 inches and 1.5 pounds with an 82mm filter thread. Tamron's designers took a basic, minimalist approach to the 17-28mm's aesthetics. It's finished in black polycarbonate, with rubberized focus and zoom control rings, and a classy silver accent ring around the mount. Branding...

The Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD delivers much better image and build quality than you'd expect from a budget lens, especially one with a wide-angle, f/2.8 design.

Very affordable; Wide angle of view; Crisp optics; Full-frame coverage; Strong build quality; Fluorine, dust, and splash protection

Edge sharpness suffers wide open; Some pincushion distortion when zoomed in

Cheap at half the price, the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD ultra-wide zoom with a wide f/2.8 constant aperture goes up against the likes of Sony’s G Master 16-35mm. It’s smaller, more lightweight, and beautifully balanced on an A7 or A9 camera body.

• Superb optical performance; • Fast and constant f/2.8 aperture; • Good weather-sealed build quality

• No optical stabilizer; • Narrower maximum viewing angle than a 16-35mm; • Less overall zoom range than a 16-35mm

Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF) Ultra-Wideangle Zoom lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with E Mount cameras. What type of photography is the Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III lens good for?

Weather-sealed, Autofocus, Hood supplied, Full-time Manual Focusing, Fast Aperture at Wide end, Fast Aperture at Tele end, Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range, Covers Full-Frame Sensor, 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh, Extreme Wide-angle capability, Minimum focus distance of, 0.19m / 7.5...

Weather-sealed, Autofocus, Hood supplied, Full-time Manual Focusing, Fast Aperture at Wide end, Fast Aperture at Tele end, Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range, Covers Full-Frame Sensor, 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh, Extreme Wide-angle capability, Minimum focus distance of, 0.19m / 7.5...

| Aperture Priority | 28mm | F/2.8 | 1/6400 | ISO 400 | Click HERE to see more images in our Sample Image Gallery It’s hard not to love the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD. This is an excellent wide-angle zoom lens for Sony shooters who don’t have the budget for a pricey Sony alternative.

Compact and lightweight Beautiful center-sharp imagery Weather sealing really works Fast, quiet and accurate AF Short minimum focusing distance

Could be better at minimizing purple fringing Lacks edge-to-edge sharpness No built-in image stabilization

Some lenses are great, some lenses feel great and really gel with the user, some are great and really clunky to use. The new Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD performs superbly, feels fantastic to use and is a very reasonable price as well.

No AF/MF switch

The 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD is Tamron's second native lens designed specifically for Sony's full-frame mirrorless E-mount bodies. From my tests Tamron's 17-28mm seems to follow in the footsteps of their 28-75mm f2.8 Di III RXD standard zoom: it offers a constant f2.8 focal ratio, is sharp to very...

Constant f2.8 focal ratio; Small and light; Extensive weather sealing; Mostly very good image quality at longer distances; Very good black levels in contra-light situations; Very usable close-up performance; Less than half the price of Sony’s 16-35mm f2.8 GM; Reliable AF operation.

Not so sharp at closer distances outside the APS-C image circle; Very short working distance for close-up shooting; 1.6x zoom range is pretty limited and reaches only 28mm focal length, not 35mm; Nervous background Bokeh.

This large-aperture wideangle zoom hits the sweet spot for Sony full-frame mirrorless users, says Andy Westlake

Large f/2.8 maximum aperture is good for low-light shooting; Excellent optical quality even at large apertures; Compact size and light weight; Splash-proof construction; Large f/2.8 maximum aperture is good for low-light shooting; Excellent optical quality even at large apertures; Compact size and...

Relatively short 1.6x zoom range limits versatility; Front-mounted zoom ring doesn't quite fall naturally to hand; Relatively short 1.6x zoom range limits versatility; Front-mounted zoom ring doesn't quite fall naturally to hand