Pros: Great Image Quality; Light-Weight; Solid Build; Auto Focus Speed; Wideness
Cons: Won't Fit 35mm Cameras; Loud Auto Focus
The Bottom Line: The Tamron SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 Di-II LD gives you excellent quality optics with a large aperture. The price is right, though you should look into the cheaper Sigma.
At one point, I considered the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 XR Di II as a replacement for my kit lens, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens. I managed to borrow this lens from a friend who uses it as his primary lens on Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. The lens ultimately did not appeal to me since I wanted a greater focal length range in a primary lens, and this is why I have the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens. The main advantage that the Tamron 17-50mm is that it goes wider than the 28mm wide-end on my Canon lens. It goes all the way down to 17mm, which would be sufficient for many different types of users that wish to take wide photos, but do not have a need for an expensive fish eye lens. If you are satisfied with this focal length range, and do not require a range before 100mm or so, you would probably like this lens. It is a significant step-up over the kit lens since it is a $300 lens. There are a few lenses that effectively compete with the Tamron 17-50mm, but in terms of what you get for the money, it is a very hard lens to beat.
Here are the lenses that ultimately compete with the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 XR Di II:
NOTE: I am NOT including the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens since its price tag is 3x more than the Tamron.
*Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 USM Lens - The only reason why I am calling this a competitor is because of the focal length range. The Tamron 17-50mm provides considerably improved image quality and with an f-stop of f2.8, it is a quicker lens allowing you to use it effectively in lower light environments.
*Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Lens - Another third party lens from a reputable manufacturer. This lens appears very comparable to the Tamron lens since they share the same f-stop as well as a very similar focal length range. The Tamron has the advantage of going wider by 1mm since it is 17mm unlike the Sigma with 18mm. The Sigma is considerably cheaper on eBay, though, and you should definitely look into the lens.
*Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 IS USM Lens - This lens is just slightly more expensive than the Tamron. Even though the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens is technically the closest competitor, it costs nearly $1,000! Therefore, based on the price range, the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 USM lens is the closest competitor. The Tamron you can find on eBay slightly below $400, while the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 IS USM lens sells for over $400 in a "Buy it Now" sale. You can probably find it easily for around ~$450 or so. The two lenses ultimately have a couple of trade-offs. First of all, the Canon lens has an f-stop of f4.0 which is quite a bit slower than the Tamron. Therefore, the lens will not be as effective in low-light conditions. Of course this can be taken care of with a Canon Speedlite flash which would be compatible with the Canon lens. The Canon also has Image Stabilization, which reduces blur caused by camera shake. The Canon 17-85mm also has a longer focal length range. The main drawback to it is its slow speed, where the Tamron has the greatest advantage.
-PRICE-
*If the Tamron 17-50mm had the Canon logo slapped on it, it would sell for three times more money. The Tamron 17-50mm isn't necessarily an inexpensive lens, but it won't break the bank for someone that is upgrading from the kit lens. This is clearly the case when comparing this lens to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens. The only advantages that it has to offer is Image Stabilization as well as compatibility with the Canon Speedlite flashes.
The Tamron 17-50mm is a bit pricier than the Sigma equivalent, where they are extremely similar minus the wider advantage of the Tamron. Compared to any closely comparable Canon lenses, such as the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4.0 IS USM lens, the Tamron 17-50mm has a considerably larger aperture. This is especially important if you are not using an external flash in low-light areas. The build quality and optical quality of the Tamron 17-50mm justifies the price tag. While I would still recommend seriously considering the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC lens, the wideness of the Tamron 17-50mm makes it a bit more attractive.
If you do want to have a Canon equivalent, you will need to spend more money. You can get either the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 USM or Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM (Image Stabilization) for considerably cheaper. Even though the focal length range is nearly the same (The Tamron goes wider, the Canon goes longer), the overall optical and build quality of the Tamron 17-50mm is better. You can also get the Canon 17-85mm lens, but in low-light conditions, you would need a flash to get the same results as the Tamron, and therefore would have to pay a considerable amount of money for an additional flash. Overall, for what you get, the Tamron 17-50mm is well worth the money. You can see how much more expensive the true Canon equivalent (17-55mm) is, with a greater than $1,000 MSRP! While you can save a few bucks with the Sigma counterpart, you will be giving up on the wide-end.
-BUILD QUALITY-
*The Tamron 17-50mm is a solid lens. It is light enough to fit comfortably on your camera, yet feels quite a bit more durable than the Canon kit lens. While it doesn't feel as solid as the metal lenses from Canon (ie EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5), I was still not worried about breaking it. The Tamron 17-50mm should definitely last you if you take care of the lens.
-FEATURES-
*The Tamron 17-50mm is quite a nice lens. If you have a 35mm film camera, beware of it since it will not work on one. The lens is intended only to be used with digital SLR cameras. The auto focus is very quick on it, nearly as fast as the USM motor on some of Canon's finest lenses. My only complaint is that the motor is a bit loud. The lens does not have Tamron's movement damper technology, which is abbreviated as "VC (Vibration Compensation). If you are shooting at an f-stop of f2.8 especially at a wider zoom, this should not really be a problem. Once you decide to step down, then it may become an issue. This is one area where the Canon 17-85mm might have an advantage since it comes with Image Stabilization. Therefore, if you step down a couple f-stops, the Canon should still take a very sharp picture granted you are holding the camera in your hand.
-IMAGE QUALITY-
*The Tamron 17-50mm did not fail to provide excellent quality photos. All photos were taken on my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. They were especially good in lower-light indoor environments. When I used the Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash in lighter environments, the pictures came out too bright. Otherwise, it was nice that I was able to use this lens for many low-light shots indoors since this ultimately saved the camera's battery if I were to use the built-in flash, or would make the camera easier to carry since you would not have to carry a large flash on top of it. But speaking of flashes, since the Tamron 17-50mm is a third party lens, it will not be able to transmit data to a Canon Speedlite external flash. That is yet one benefit that the Canon EF/-S lenses have. Nonetheless, I was very satisfied with the overall image quality. I was surprised with how quick the auto focus is. I assumed that it would be slower than Canon's USM, however, I was pleasantly surprised with how quick it focused. Therefore, no missed shots! The only thing I did not like was the fact that the focusing motor was quite loud. All of the focusing is done internally, therefore the lens will not move during the process.
What I liked about this lens was the fact that it goes as wide as 17mm, which is great for group photos. While it doesn't go as long as other lenses since it goes up to 50mm, this focal length range is adequate for most users. Further zoom can be achieved by purchasing a telephoto lens that starts at 70mm, and therefore you would only lose the range from 51-69mm.
Throughout the entire focal length range, the Tamron 17-50mm takes very good quality shots. They are very sharp and clear, and I did not notice any softness. I did not notice any vignetting at all. All of the photos I took were taken at f2.8. The optical quality you get for the price is definitely worth it.
-CONCLUSION-
*The Tamron 17-50mm is excellent bang-for-the-buck granted its focal length range and overall optical quality. A similar large aperture lens made by Canon is many times more expensive. Even though the lens is also a bit more expensive than the Sigma counterpart, the extra 1mm in the wide end maybe worth it. This lens would make an excellent step-up from the Canon kit lens. You will lose 5mm of zoom, but for the improved optical quality and larger aperture, it is worth it. I would recommend this lens to users that do not own or are not willing to purchase an ultra-wide lens. Unlike my current lens whose wide-end is only 28mm, the Tamron 17-50mm goes wider so you can take better group photos. Also, you can always complement the lens with a telephoto that starts at, let's say, 70mm, so you can still zoom out far. I was very satisfied when I used the lens. If I knew that I would not be purchasing an ultra-wide lens in the future, I probably would have purchased one too. Tamron has managed to create a lens that has excellent optics and still costs far less than Canon's competition.
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