Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
Tamron
97 Overall Score
vs
Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
Nikon
37 Overall Score
What Buyers Say
Tamron Di III 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
Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
No customer feedback yet
Scores
Video Cinema
Budget
Professional
Macro
Travel
Portrait
Landscape
Street
Wildlife Sports
Specifications
| Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 17 mm | 24 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 70 mm | 85 mm |
| Elements | 16 | — |
| Groups | 12 | — |
| Aspherical Elements | 3★ | — |
| ED Elements | 2★ | — |
| Coating | Fluorine Coating | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | — |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9★ | — |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | — |
| Format | APS-C★ | — |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | — |
| Weight | 0.54 kg★ | 1.99 kg |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | — |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | RXD | — |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | — |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 190 mm★ | — |
| Max Magnification | 1:4.8★ | — |
Pros & Cons
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong optical (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong macro (86th percentile)86th %ile
Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
- Strong versatility (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Strong aperture (78th percentile)
- Strong bokeh (76th percentile)
- Below average build (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
- Below average macro (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average social proof (20th percentile)20th %ile
- Below average optical (20th percentile)20th %ile
Verdict
Winner: Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 9 of 21 specs.