Update: Tamron AF 28-75mm F/2.8 Mini Review

Tamron AF 28-75mm SP F/2.8

To read my original review please click here. Thanks.

Update: 09/29/2012 

After more than a year of using the Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon, I have notice that the zoom ring is somewhat tighter. Zooming from 28-60mm is ok, but from 60mm to 75mm, it's not as smooth as before, I need to give it a little notch to zoom all the way to 75mm. Also I've been using this a lot to shoot high school football and I noticed that when it gets dark, it is having a hard time focusing, even on still subjects. When using AI Servo to track subject, the lens can't coped up and tend to loose focus on the subject, especially when the subject is coming right at you. In this situation, I usually drop my 200mm and switch camera for a wider shot, but I tend to miss some of the shots when using this lens. My other lenses, perform exceptionally well on this situations, my EF-S 10-22mm, Canon 70-200mm F4L IS, Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM Prime. I still like the lens, and I still use it on well lit environment, but for low light, night time, fast action sports, I rely on my Canon Lenses to do the job.

Another thing that I have noticed, like most zoom lenses, the Tamron AF 28-75mm F/2.8 is starting to exhibit zoom creep. Thank goodness it has a zoom lock that locks the zoom ring in place to avoid creeping.

Am I going to keep it? Yes I would. Just as I have mentioned, daytime and well lit environment is not a problem. It's a great walk around lens, great for traveling and family outing. I don't use it for night time fast moving sports anymore. I'm using my ef-s 10-22mm, EF 85mm F/1.8 in place of the Tamron 28-75mm, together with my Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Prime Lens.

Reasons to buy this lens:

• Cheap
• Great Optics / Can produce excellent image quality
• Great for portraits
• Fast F/2.8 Fix aperture
• Light / Compact / Perfect for the traveler

Reasons to look somewhere else:

• Tendency to hunt in low light situations. (I've used this for indoor events, with no problem, but lately I've noticed that it tends to hunt in low light)
• Not for fast action sports photography. It is having a hard time obtaining accurate focus. Using Canon in AI Servo, it can't cope up with fast moving subjects.  There are times when I have to switch to manual and help it to achieve focus.

Recommendation:

Please note that all the problems that I have mentioned, happened in low light situation, at night in fast action sports, which I have been shooting a lot lately, for indoor events, I have used this lens without any problem. My recommendation, if you need a lens with a F/2.8 aperture in the 24-70mm range and this lens is the one in your budget get it, I'm sure it will work out for you as long as you know it's limitation, but if you need a lens with a realiable autofocus in low light situation in the 24-70mm range, consider  the newer and more expensive, Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC USD, the newer version features Tamron's new Ultrasonic Drive, for fast accurate autofocus. I have not tried this lens myself, but it has receive some positive reviews from people who have used it. If you have the money to buy the more expensive Canon EF 24-70mm F/2.8 USM MK I or the newer MK II, just go ahead, you won't be dissappointed. The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras will last a lifetime.