I have bought the Tamron SP AF 24-135mm last year as a result of my search for a walkaround lens for my full-frame Sony A850 and have used it long enough that now I feel confident to write a mini-review. Although my experience is limited with the Alpha mount version, I am sure it will apply to Canon and Nikon mount versions too. You will not find resolution charts or fancy measurements since there are already tests that are published on the net which are probably much better and accurate than I can ever do, but I always believe the real-life experience of a photographer is what matters the most when it comes to evaluating photographic equipment.
Coming from the APS-C world, I had a hard time finding a versatile lens with a real wide angle on full-frame(24mm is “real” wide-angle for me, not 28mm). Before the 24-135mm, I bought a Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 which was very satisfying optically but the 28mm limit on the wide end didn’t make it for me. I tried the Sony Zeiss 24-70mm which was almost perfect optically and it had the 24mm obviously but was quite large and heavy (and expensive). There is also a Sony 24-105mm lens which had quite bad reviews actually that I didn’t even consider it. So I decided to give the Tamron 24-135mm a try. I didn’t know much about the lens when I ordered and I honestly didn’t expect much due to the low price and the wide focal range it covers. But I have to say this lens exceeded my expectations.
Here What I have found (Specifications) & Why it’s usually called the Best outdoor Camera lens.
Focal Range:
- I find the 24-135mm focal range perfect for my street photography style (for Full Frame).
- Not so useful on APS-C (16-90mm APS-C equivalent), 36mm FF equivalent isn’t wide enough for sure
Operation:
- The zoom ring is very stiff. I had never used a lens with such a stiff mechanism before but you get used to it in time.
- There is a zoom lock switch. My unit has a wobbly one but it doesn’t affect the functionality. I don’t know if this is a common issue.
- Since the zoom ring is extremely stiff, zoom creeping isn’t a problem, even without the zoom lock switch.
- It is an Internal Focus (IF) design so the front element doesn’t rotate during focusing or zooming. This is good while using a circular polarizer.
Focusing:
- AF is noisy and slow, not a big problem for me though since I don’t use it for fast-action photography.
- No problems with manual focusing, surely not as precise as old manual focus lenses.
Image quality:
- I see some distortion mainly at the wide end but I don’t find it very disturbing.
- Contrast and colors are decent, nothing to worry about. And there is always the Photoshop to make the enhancements.
- Close minimum focusing distance (MFD) of 0.4m (15.7″) comes handy at times for close-ups. It gives a maximum magnification of 0.30x.
- Lens is prone to flare, so I always use with the included lens hood.
- Sharpness wide open suffers so I always try to stop down at least one stop. It is sharper on the wide side, softer on the tele side.
Build:
- Build quality is good but nothing special. I don’t like the rubber material that covers the zoom and focus ring, it makes the lens look ugly for some reason but doesn’t affect the functionality.
- It is small and light considering the wide focal range and full-frame coverage (530gr), protrudes while zooming but still doesn’t take much attention during street photography shooting.
- The lens cap design is good – Center pinch design
Other:
- No VR or IS on Canon and Nikon. It is not a problem with Sony due to in-body stabilization.
- No weather sealing.
- No focus hold button.
- Also, Read Our 8 Must-Have DSLR Camera Accessories Under $15.
So, lets look at the alternatives to this lens on Full Frame;
For Canon FF
- Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM: Image quality is close, Tamron is 4mm wider which makes a big difference. Canon has IS and focus faster and more silent.
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM: Canon has IS, faster and silent focusing, L series build quality, but expensive and heavy.
For Nikon FF
- Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S: Nikon has VR, fast and silent focusing, better optical quality than Tamron, but heavy and expensive.
- Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF VR: Nikon has VR, image quality is similar, cheaper than the f/4 version.
Conclusion:
Despite the minor optical shortcomings, it is the perfect walkaround full-frame lens for every-day shooting. I am satisfied with Tamron’s performance and use it frequently at times when versatility is more important than the absolute image quality. The lens is discontinued but it is still possible to find new in many shops. A revised version of Tamron 24-135mm with improved optics and the focusing mechanism would be very welcomed since I really like this focal range.