Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

Tamron
73 Overall Score
vs
Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm

Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm

Yongnuo
94 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

85 out of 100 high confidence 62 reviews

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD lens is widely praised for its sharpness, versatile zoom range, constant aperture, and effective stabilization, making it an excellent all-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users appreciate its solid build quality and value for money, though many note it is noticeably heavier and larger than typical kit lenses, which can feel unbalanced on smaller camera bodies. A few reviewers mention minor issues like chromatic aberration at the longer end and noise from the aperture blades at certain settings, but overall sentiment is very positive.

Pros
  • sharp image quality across zoom range
  • constant f/2.8 aperture
  • effective image stabilization
  • fast and quiet autofocus
  • versatile 17-70mm focal range
Cons
  • heavy and large for APS-C body
  • chromatic aberration at 50-70mm
  • aperture blade noise above f/5.6
  • short zoom throw initially stiff
  • no aperture ring on Fuji version
👍 Image quality 27
👍 Build quality 15
🤔 Weight and size 18
👍 Value for money 14
👍 Stabilization 12
👍 Autofocus performance 11

Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm

92 out of 100 medium confidence 19 reviews

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its sharpness, fast autofocus, and excellent build quality. Users highlight its performance in low light and video work, with many noting it as a significant upgrade. A few Q&A entries address concerns about internal movement when off, which is confirmed as normal stabilizer behavior.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Fast and quiet autofocus
  • Excellent build quality
  • Great low-light performance
  • Internal zoom mechanism
Cons
  • Internal movement when off (normal but concerning)
  • Heavier than similar lenses
  • Not parfocal
  • Focus-by-wire system
👍 Image quality 6
👍 Autofocus performance 5
👍 Build quality 4
👍 Low light performance 3
👎 Internal movement concerns 3
👎 Weight 2

Scores

Portrait
Tamron
47
Yongnuo
92
Macro
Tamron
82
Yongnuo
86
Street
Tamron
57
Yongnuo
84
Budget
Tamron
69
Yongnuo
81
Professional
Tamron
72
Yongnuo
81
Video Cinema
Tamron
67
Yongnuo
79
Wildlife Sports
Tamron
68
Yongnuo
77
Landscape
Tamron
76
Yongnuo
65
Travel
Tamron
69
Yongnuo
65

Specifications

Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXDYongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min17 mm23 mm
Focal Length Max70 mm23 mm
Elements1611
Groups129
Aspherical Elements3★—
ED Elements23★
CoatingFluorine Coatingnano-multilayer coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/22f/1.4
Min Aperturef/2.8f/1.4
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades99
Build
MountNikon ZSony E
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.54 kg0.37 kg★
Filter Thread67 mm58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeRXD Stepping AF MotorDSM digital stepping motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance70 mm23 mm★
Max Magnification1:4.8★0.1x

Pros & Cons

Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

  • Strong macro (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average social proof (17th percentile)17th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (25th percentile)

Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm

  • Strong social proof (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong aperture (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Verdict

★ Winner: Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm

Scores 94 overall, wins 7 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Better at:

TravelLandscape

Yongnuo YN23mm F1.4S DA DSM 23mm Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetPortraitProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports