I did a large number of tests, running these lenses through all apertures at 28mm, 50mm and 75mm, shooting several types of test target as well as "real world images" and evaluating images for sharpness, contrast, flare, distortion and chromatic aberration.

Consistent Output; Durable; Easily Interchangeable; Lightweight; Quick Focus; Sharp Focus; Strong Construction

Difficult to Clean

This lens is one of my all time favorites. It's fairly light, tack sharp, and has a decent zoom range. The main problem is with mountaineering you tend to want either wide angle or telephoto, which this lens is neither. So, you end up taking multiple lenses with you on a trip.

This is a compact and lightweight wide aperture standard zoom for use on full-frame and APS-C sensor SLRs.

This is a great value lens. The image quality is outstanding for a lens in this price range. There are some things that could be better about it, but for the price in this focal range, and considering it's a 2.8 lens, it's impossible to beat.

Very sharp; inexpensive; 2.8 through entire focal range; excellent image quality

Not rugged; Mediocre focusing speed; Sometimes hunts in low light

Although Tamron's SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] lens has been designed for cameras with 36 x 24mm sensors, it is also usable on cameras with smaller, APS-C sized sensors, where it covers a focal length range of 44.8-120mm on Canon DSLRs or 42-112.5mm on all the rest.

You want a fast standard zoom lens with excellent performance for use on ‘full frame' and ‘APS-C' DSLR cameras; You'd like a lens that requires no readjustment when you fit polarisers and graduated filters; You want attractive bokeh at wide apertures.

The Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR (forgive me for using a shorter variant of the name ...) proved to be a very good lens in the lab. The resolution figures are among the highest tested among the standard zoom lenses - the center resolution is generally excellent and the borders follow closely on...

Features & handling This lens has a very compact design, and has a good feel to its barrel. Focus and zoom controls are well designed and easy to operate. The lens is constructed from 15 elements in 13 groups and there are seven aperture blades.

Great price for a 2.8 constant aperture. Lightweight. Autofocus is inconsistent and a touch slower than I hoped for. Range is not wide enough for a "walkaround lens" on a 1.6 crop camera. I have seen some excellent images come from this lens on other user's galleries.

f/2.8

Autofocus inconsistent; Lens filter size is unique to Tamron; therefore my other lenses require other filters

I use this lens for portraits, events, and low-light shots. The fact that it is so small and light-weight is a definite bonus. The constant f2.8 really pays off in low light situations. Compared to the big, heavy Nikon, I really prefer this lens.

Consistent Output; Lightweight; Sharp Focus

Slow Focus; Weak Casing

These lens are great, and not just for the price. They are well constructed, feel nicely weighed in the hand, and not plasticky. They are reasonably heavy, but I see it as an asset, since it makes it easier to hold the camera steady. The output has been consistently sharp photos.

Consistent Output; Durable; Sharp Focus

Slow Focus