Canon 1242B002-cr
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
What Buyers Say
Canon 1242B002-cr
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is widely praised for its excellent image quality, fast constant aperture, and effective image stabilization, making it a favorite walk-around lens for APS-C shooters. However, many users report significant dust intrusion, lens creep, and a build quality that feels below its premium price point. While optical performance rivals L-series glass, the lack of weather sealing and occasional autofocus or IS failures over time are common frustrations. Overall, it is a top performer optically but has notable durability concerns.
Pros
- Excellent image sharpness and contrast
- Fast constant f/2.8 aperture
- Effective image stabilization (3 stops)
- Versatile 17-55mm focal range for APS-C
- Fast and quiet USM autofocus
Cons
- Significant dust intrusion inside lens
- Lens creep over time
- No weather sealing
- Plastic build quality feels cheap for price
- Expensive for an EF-S lens
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
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
Scores
Specifications
| Canon 1242B002-cr | Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 17 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 55 mm | 70 mm |
| Elements | 19 | 16 |
| Groups | 12 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 3 | 3 |
| ED Elements | 1 | 2★ |
| Coating | Super Spectra coating | Fluorine Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/22 | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Canon EF-S | Sony E |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Weight | 0.93 kg | 0.54 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 77 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | USM★ | RXD |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stabilization Stops | 3 stops★ | — |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 351 mm | 190 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 0.17x | 1:4.8★ |
Pros & Cons
Canon 1242B002-cr
- Strong af (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong optical (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
- Below average build (19th percentile)19th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong bokeh (89th percentile)89th %ile
- Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
Pricing
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD offers 1.9x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.
