Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD

A wide lens in more ways than one, the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras is a cracker

5 Star Rating
Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD
(Image: © Matthew Richards)

Digital Camera World Verdict

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. However, it’s certainly not light on all-round performance and image quality, really punching above its weight. You need a good reason not to stick with own-brand Sony lenses, and the Tamron 17-28mm is exactly that.

Pros

  • +

    Superb optical performance

  • +

    Fast and constant f/2.8 aperture

  • +

    Good weather-sealed build quality

Cons

  • -

    No optical stabilizer

  • -

    Narrower maximum viewing angle than a 16-35mm

  • -

    Less overall zoom range than a 16-35mm

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Photographers with Sony A7 or A9 cameras who want an ultra-wide zoom will feel a natural pull towards the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, which sells for just north of £/$1,000. For around twice the price, there’s the more exotic Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, which has a faster aperture rating but is comparatively big and heavy, weighing in at 680g. However, the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD matches the G Master with a constant-aperture f/2.8 design, but in a more compact and lightweight package, and at a much more affordable price.

• Read more: Best Sony lenses

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.