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

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

Tamron
53 Overall Score
vs
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony
90 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

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

No customer feedback yet

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

82 out of 100 high confidence 117 reviews

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
  • Effective optical image stabilization
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
  • Not ideal for low light photography
  • Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
  • Some copies may have quality control issues
  • Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
👍 Image quality 35
👍 Build quality 12
👍 Value for money 18
👎 Vignetting 6
👎 Low light performance 10
👍 Zoom range 25

Scores

Budget
Tamron
53
Sony
100
Street
Tamron
42
Sony
87
Portrait
Tamron
59
Sony
86
Travel
Tamron
35
Sony
85
Wildlife Sports
Tamron
37
Sony
84
Video Cinema
Tamron
44
Sony
82
Landscape
Tamron
32
Sony
76
Professional
Tamron
36
Sony
73
Macro
Tamron
59
Sony
68

Specifications

Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 -A VC RXDSony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min17 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max70 mm135 mm
Elements—16
Groups—12
Aspherical Elements—1★
ED Elements—2★
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/3.5
Min Aperturef/2.83.5-5.6
Constant—✗
Diaphragm Blades—7★
Build
MountTamronSony E
Format—APS-C★
Weather Sealed—✗
Weight1.64 kg0.33 kg★
Filter Thread—55 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeRXDLinear motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance70 mm★450 mm
Max Magnification—0.29x★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong macro (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong aperture (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
  • Below average build (3rd percentile)3rd %ile
  • Below average optical (19th percentile)19th %ile
  • Below average social proof (25th percentile)

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile

Pricing

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

No current pricing available

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Verdict

★ Winner: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Scores 90 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 7 of 20 specs.

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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