Four and three-quarter years after this video was uploaded, I searched for reviews. You are the third I saw with wonderful finds about this Tamron. I was looking for the right thing for my D750 and budget. I'm sold. Thank you, Matt.
Shockingly, I'm not surprised at this outcome. I start testing the 15-30 VC this week, but I've tested a number of Tamrons in the past couple of years and have ended up purchasing several of them. They are making some great lenses! Thanks for this early look, Matt. I test on Canon bodies and against different competition, so I was really interested to read the comparison vs. the mighty 14-24mm
Dustin Abbott Dustin, you always have fantastic lens reviews. Will you please test for coma? I am wondering how it compares to the Rokinon 14mm for astrophotography. I am also interested to see how the Tamron's sharpness compares to the Canon 16-35 f/4 IS, since you reviewed that lens too. Thanks!
Dustin Abbott I have the 14-24 and the biggest issue for me with this les is the distortion when corrected in software - the corners get stretched to an agonizing degree. I'm considering the Zeiss 15 or the Tamron 15-30 as they both have a different type of distortion which would not result in losing millimeters of FL via stretched corners. I'd like to see a comparison of the 15-30 with the Zeiss.
15-30 Tammy is a great lens. I'm a FT real estate photographer and have been using this daily for 2 months. Very little real distortion, front element stays clean from dust, sharp, and while heavy I always know when it's in my hand so am conscious to not bang against door jams, railings, etc. This thing is a beauty and worth every penny. Thanks for the great vid Matt!
I have waited for this review. As the owner of the Tamron 24-70VC and the 70-200VC, I can say without a doubt that I'll be adding the 15-30VC to my collection. Thanks for the review Matt.
You got one thing backwards -- the molded aspherical element is for reducing optical aberrations (increasing sharpness), while the low-dispersion elements are for controlling chromatic aberration.
Outstanding review, Matt Granger! Very professionally and objectively done. It's jam packed with info without all the wasted time you generally see in lens reviews. Thank you for the detailed tests, rather than a 5 minute video of you opening the box and saying, "It looks like a nice lens" Great stuff as always. I've been anxiously awaiting this lens since your first video on it at Photokina
I have become a big fan of tamron glass since the 70-200. my 24-70 had/has some focus issues but is getting fixed under warranty. I also have the 10-24mm for the crop sensor(d7000) I have been waiting for this lens and it is on my list
I have to agree, I've been really pleased with the Tamron 2.8 VCs. For the money they're incredible. I've had no issues. The 10-30 is looking like a head and shoulders winner too.
What focus issues did you have? I sent mine back to B&H - the focus got stuck. New one is perfect. Great lens and I've used the Nikon 24-70. I have an iMac 5 k and the sharpness is close. I think I'm going with the Nikon 70-200 but might get this wide angle
Hi Matt, Although as an amateur photographer I don't think I ever can afford one of these lenses. Still I enjoy the way you show these lenses. Thanks for the time and special for the good advice.
Thanks for the comparison, very surprising flare behavior. I, too, get those two line flares on the Nikon. I would have liked to see a comparison in shooting stars and Milky Way, particularly the coma behavior on the Tamron. A chance for part 2?
Matt Granger thanks for this review; it is always a joy to listen to your reviews on lenses. I have been looking for a good wide angle lens and I think you sold me the Tamron with the pricing which is within my budget. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks for the review! I was pretty set on the Nikkor 14-24, but held back because it was very expensive. The Tamron lens is about half of what the Nikkor lens costs, so I'm going to go that route! Thanks for the great info!
What about a comparison between the Tamron and the Canon 16-35mm 2.8L II? I think most Canon users will be very happy with it. Personally I'm waiting a pro comparison between the two, since I have a 6D and I'm considering to buy a wide-angle lens for landscape and videos. Cheers!
What do you recommend for properly drying/cleaning the glass after getting it wet? I shoot a lot of events around pools, out in the rain, etc... don't want to use the wrong process for constantly drying/cleaning and wearing off any special coatings.
What is the best prime lens available from your experience? What I need in the lens: 1- a very sharp lens 2- fast auto focusing 3- auto focusing motor sound should not be heard in the video 4- it would be great if it has image stabilization but not a must 5- a f 1.8 but if f1.4 is available for a good price then ok. 6- under 1000$ 7- 35mm, 50mm or 55mm what do you think?
For the users in Sweden there is also the little warranty thing to remember. Sweden and some other countries has a 5(!) year warranty (requires registration) compared to Nikons 1(!!) year warranty. For me thats the definite deal breaker. I'm buying the Tamron 15-30!!! Thanks for a great review. I am tough looking forward to a picture that displays the difference between 14mm and 15mm. What more does the nikon actually cover with that extra 1mm???
I had this lens for a week and it was 2 days into my Iceland vacation. The wind decided it was time to do a drop test. Had my D800 on a tripod, 56", and the wind blew it over. The back of the camera hit the dirt ground, lens did not hit at all but the force cracked the rear barrel and separated from the front. Autofocus and VC were not really working anymore. Tamron gave me a $245 estimate to repair. At least the pictures were great for the 2 days I had it.
Why there isnt any review or compression for Sigma 12-24mm for Full frame. being the widest wdie zoom lens. we would like to see a review of it. or even better a comparison between this and tamron 15-30mm VC.
I enjoy your reviews on Cams and Lenses Matt... Thinking later this season I will be stepping into the D610 world as my first FF.. I do think highly of Nikkor lenses... but you know what It is very cool to see that Tamron is one of the companies that is really stepping up thier game and thier quality aspect of products,, and making the market place wide open for a lot of us that dont always have the $$$$ to buy all of the big buck Nikkor Lenses.... Lots of landscape shots for me.... Keep the reviews coming I enjoy your world of knowledge,,, as I still consider myself a novice photographer,, but a hobby I truely love
Great review. As a canon shooter, I can use filter on wide angle lens (16-35), Can I use filters on the Tamrom? It looks it will not take filter at all.
Matt, this is another great review of yours. And this review is expected by many of us for sure. Thanks a lot. Previously you did several significant and very remarkable reviews titled "showdowns" or "battles" for 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses. Is it possible for you to make a ultra-wide-angle-showdown between Nikkor 14-24, Tamron 15-30, Zeiss 15 T*2,8 and Canon 16-35 f/4 L IS? That would be surely very interesting comparison of all times.
Why were the flower photos testing VC only on the Nikon and not on the Tamron? Also, the next photo of the sign is with what camera lens?? Great video, but got really unclear towards the end.
I want the Tamron but don't need the VC, it's the lower incidence of flare. I'd like to see if stars have a coma wide open though, that would be a deal breaker. I've tried the 24-70 from Tamron and stars in the corners look like seagulls at f/2.8
I had the same thought. I'm hoping he gives us some sample images to compare. Corner sharpness was the primary thing I care about and he didn't even mention it.
Bill KIM Thanks bill, I really tried to make this comprehensive without keeping people waiting. I now think of three more tests I should do, will try to do soon
Bill KIM I agree, would like to seen corner sharpness also. As far as the person who said search Flikr, Better if the info was in the video. Otherwise no thumbs up..
Matt, I'm planning to buy either the Tamron 15-30mm or the Nikon 14-24mm for my trip to Yosemite in June this year. I have a D810. I was just wondering if it's worth buying any of these two lenses, or will I be better off just renting one for the trip. It occurs to me that the Nikon 14-24mm is very old now and I hate to be that guy who buys a lens just before the upgrade. Please advise.
From looking at the Tamron in your demo, it appears the front element is similar to the Nikon, so the use of any normal filter is not a possibility....
Have you done any close inspection of this Tamron against the Sony FE 16-35mm by any chance? With Firmware 2.0 this lens becomes a fantastic alternative with the LAEA3 adapter.
A year ago my Nikkor 14-24 damaged inside the backpack. Repaired perfectly now I'm selling to buy this Tamron 15-30 f2.8. I was shocked for the delicacy of 14-24 and I hope that the new Tamron is more impact resistant. Then the poor resistance to flare of 14-24 I never liked it and I hope the Tamron 15-30 will be better in this area. Last thing I think the 15-30 focal is more useful than 14-24 and the VC is a value added.
I've been doing real estate photography for a few years now and I got rid of my Canon camera and lenses to buy a sony a77 because it has in body image stabilization which allows me to shoot hand held indoors at f8 and a lower ISO because I'm able to shoot at 1/8 of a second at 11mm on a Tokina 11-16mm. So my point is if you are wanting a large depth of field at a low ISO and not have to lug a heavy tripod around having "VC, IS" is really useful. I recently bought a a99 so I'm looking into my options and this is defiantly on my wish list now. I wonder if Tamron will take out the VC or IS for Sony a-mount as Sigma has on a few of their lenses. BTW I would have like to have seen the corner sharpness as well as some other people commented about.
Great review! Thanks a lot... waited for that. I will order the Tamron in the near future, already having the 24-70 vc and the 70-200 vc and loving them!
Excellent review. I would have really loved to see a visual comparison between 14mm on the nikon vs 15mm on the tamron as that's a huge deciding factor for me.
I'm about to receive my 15-30 Tamron in the mail. I like the VC addition. But what I didn't realize is that there is no weather sealing on it! Just read that. What's your view about no weather seal? Compared with the 14-24 2.8 Nikon lens? I shoot in the mountains a lot, and also the desert on photo assignments. Man.... I even rented the Tamron before buying. Just didn't pay attention. It's an amazing lens. The weather seal thing though bugs me.
hi Matt sir, I have baying the Nikon lens for wedding and portrait shoot so pls guide me.1) Nikon 16-80mm 2.8 lens 2) Tamron 15-30mm 2.8 lens pls pls pls answer me.
Just purchased the Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 yesterday. The difference between the two really is quite significant, in terms of sharpness and glare you'd think the Nikkor was the aftermarket glass. Distortion can be fixed in Lightroom/Photoshop so not fussed in that regard. Could have saved a little bit buying the Tamron but I'll stick with the Holy Trinity now...
KRusEdits The canon fall behind in the corners. Look at the MTF : Nikon : www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/447-nikkor_afs_1424_28_ff?start=1 canon : www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/435-canon_1635_28_5d?start=1 Little review :www.terragalleria.com/blog/2012/10/29/nikon-14-24-lens/ I guess the tamron has the corner sharpness as the Nikon or better.
Hi Matt, one very important thing I would've hoped to be discussed in this is the infamous focus breathing that Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 suffer from. How is it in the 15-30? Because as you said, that 1mm adds a lot!
Was curios to understand why Nikon can make a 16-35 with a 77mm filter super wide sense but it seems once you get to 14mm and 15mm all the lenses have the bulbous front. I'm not sure where to look for this answer.... Would love a 15-30 with an 82mm thread... I'd give up the 2.8 for an f/4 or even a variable 3.5-4.5 like in Tamron's 10-24mm for DX cameras.
Which is the best the 14-24 or tamron 15-30? Money is not problem in singapore the price is $200 difference only which is the best to get? I already have sigma 35mm 1.4art and nikon 85mm 1.8G which is sharp lens too!
I switched from Nikon to Tamron right after Tamron is launched. I do not see any point to buy Nikon giving its price tag, unless like Matt said you seriously need that 1mm difference in wide angle. For IQ, I think Nikon 14-24 should be selling at lower price.
Matt Granger As an architectural photographer - How do they compare in sharpness? Who's sharper in the corners? Which lens has less color fringing? Love the review - Thank you!
I just wish they would finally come up with a material that would allow those lenses to be significantly lighter. The nikon 300mm pf was going in that direction, but to my knowledge that Phasen-Fresnel thingy doesnt seem to become wide spread. Also its not another material. Their must be something that is lighter then glass but still have similar or better optical properties. P.S. I do realize that that video is almost 2 years old now....
Matt Granger, how about Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 compare to Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8. both compare at 15mm f/2.8 which are better sharpness, contrast, color? TQ
i really like, this lens and i think i am going to put it on the top of my purchase list to go as my walk around lens, though i am a bit lost between the tamron vc f1.8 primes and sigma new f1.4 primes, i.e. should i get the tamron 85 m vc F1.8 or the sigma 85 mm f1.4 and same thing for the tamron 35 mm vc f1.8 and the sigma 35 mm f1.4 art series, and finally which macro lens should i chose the tamron new 90 mm f 2.8 or the sigma 105 mm ... i would appreciate any advice
I'm deciding between the 15-30 tamron and the 16-35mm f/4L IS and I'm pulling my hair out trying to choose the right one and there are 2 things I'm worried about holding me back from the tamron So since the 15-30 retracts inwards when focusing/zooming, will dust be able to get inside easily? Do you find that at all? Or does that never happen? Also is the tamron too heavy to be on a Dslr for long perieds of time? I will be shooting on a tripod but, it seems like might be too heavy to not have a tripod collar, Am I wrong about that as well?
I picked up a 17-35 Nikon and I like the lens but shooting with a wide lens dose give me a mixed bag of results love to know more about how to get the most out of this lens
Haven't used the Nikon 14-24mm, but love the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC. The lens truly appears sharp for me at all focal lengths. In your comparison, I'm not sure that the time to focus difference is significant enough for most. I just love the photos with this lens straight out of camera. I also love the feel/balance although it is heavy. I have not see color fringing, or marked distortion that wasn't easily correctable in Lightroom. The lens feels very well constructed. and solid. The star bursts (as you showed) are beautiful without being distracting. I would buy this lens all over again, if I needed to buy a WAZ all over again.
Thanks Matt, Nice review, I was considering the Nikon 14-24mm for wide angle, but price tag is high. For amateurs or beginners which lens for wide and a little zoom do you recommend. Looking for a lens that will replace the regular NIKON 18-55; I want something I can carry with my D3100; I already have a 55-300 for distance. Let me know, many thanks!!!
hey Matt...I know u said you've broke alot of 14-24's....have you ever had one with a stiff zoom ring? I just got a new one today.....ring is stiff as hell compared to my 24-70
after an accident i had on a soccer game, and the ball came direct into my lens(a cheap canon 70-300 F4-5.6), i lost a tooth from that, but the lense 3 years after that, its still working fine without any problem... how can you manage to broke 3 lenses in half just dropping them down??
Thanks for the review Matt, Any chance you could do some testing on the Tamron for coma? As someone who shoots a lot of short, high ISO wide open shots of the night sky, comatic aberration can be a killer. The Nikon shines in this regard, even at 2.8. How about corner sharpness wide open?
A shame you couldn't do a coma/edge sharpness test. The Nikkor is the best around for Astroscapes but the Tamron is really interesting as a challenger...
I was considering Nikon's 16-35 f4 VR, but now Tamron has this lens in the market at right about the same price. I shoot events, concerts, and sports and use the wide lens like this about 2 percent of the time at most, so never thought the 14-24 was a lens for me. I use D750 and D610 and D7100 bodies. I retired a Nikon 17-35 f2.8 this past February when it stopped auto focusing for the second time after repair (a 16 year old lens with lots of use on my DX bodies).
Matt Granger Great review! Very concise and covered a lot of things. I'm interested in the edge and corner sharpness comparison between the lenses for landscape photography, but I don't think you mentioned it in your review. Do you have the full size images for the sharpness test for us to view? Also, I recall you mentioning that you wanted to compare this to the Tokina 16-28 F2.8, did you end up borrowing a copy of that to compare?
Hey Matt, hope you can answer this. Does the Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 focus breathing bother you? Is it that noticeable? I'm only an advanced amateur (I guess) but if it is that much of a difference don't know if it's worth it.
+Oscar Jimenez No, it got much worse. Old age is setting in, like with old people sharpness of vision is getting blurred ... Jokes aside, what exactly should have changed? Why would it not be as good any more?
One thing that bothers me about the Tamron is that it basically has two lens hoods sandwiched together. Now...There is a small gap between the two. So what will keep water, dust, dirt, mud, or whatever from getting inside that gap. I guess thats why I like internal focusing so much. It's probably no big deal,but still something to think about.
Hi Matt! great video! thank you for sharing this review! im looking for a new wide angel lens to take wedding photography. can you recomend me which one should i buy? Im a nikon d810 user. few days ago im thinking to buy a Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8... but with this review idk... need recomendation! Thank you!
The Nikon 14-24mm has been on my shortlist for a while by following Clemens Pijls on facebook who makes a lot of very nice 14-24mm pics. But after watching your review, I bought the Tamron instead. Build quality feels on par with my Nikon 24-70mm 2.8, and while it's my first non-nikon lens, it does not feel like a B choice. The zoom ring needs a lot more force to rotate than the 24-70mm however, not sure how fluent it works on the 14-24mm. But it does not feel stuck, just needs more force, a lot more.
Hi Matt, Great video as always. I'm considering buying the Tamron 15-30 on Sony A-mount to use with LA-EA3+A7RM2. Have you heard of any incompatibility with focusing with LA-EA3? Thanks.
Another great content review Matt, hopefully will get this lens within this year for the D750 heard positive reviews on Tamron 15-30mm and from you as well. Happy exposing
Matt, This video is great. I am now seriously looking at the Tamron. One question, Approximately how much would we be loosing from 14mm to 15mm. Thanks
Thanks Matt, now I wait for the Tamron, was really fond of the Tokina 16-28 but now the 15-30 is equal if not better than 14-24 plus VR. it's literally a no brainer
I bought this lens before seeing any review. It was the word of a pro at a shop. I was looking for a 20 f1.8 tbh but this was a chunky well built lens that really made punchy pics. A year later, I can say no regrets, that extra one mm may have been needed in some cases but overall I'm extremely pleased with this lens. Just feels a bit heavy after a couple of hours. lol
The Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and Tamron 15-30 f/2.8 are two very different lenses. The Sigma is made for APS-C bodies and the Tamron for FF. On APS-C, the Sigma you would get a fov of 27-53mm with dof of f/2.7 and the Tamron would give you 23-45mm with a dof of f/4.2. The Tamron costs more b/c it's made for FF, but the Sigma will outperform the Tamron if used on APS-C since it was made for that sensor size. Both are very good, but serve different purposes.
Matt Granger Are/were you able to test the 15-30 Tamron to see if the Nikon Auto Focus Fine Tune Adjustments could identify this lens uniquely? What I mean is he Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 both look the same to Nikon's AutoFocus Fine Tune so if you have both and fine tune one, then when you use the other lens it gets the same AF fine tuune adjustments as the first. Do you know if this lens does the same?
Thanks Matt, great review & surprising conclusion. Are you planning to put them head to head against the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 if & when it comes out? A different and unique lens, I know, but I'd be interested to know what you make of it. Cheers.
.....and old vintage lenses from the 70’s from Nikon destroy all the above for pennies! I got a Nikkor 70-210mm f4 D the other day and it makes some amazing shots with so much color depth and contrast it almost looks HDR from the RAW files. Cost me $80, LOL
3 years and I m still watching this.. Bought that Tamron lens just for the sake of your review.
Four and three-quarter years after this video was uploaded, I searched for reviews. You are the third I saw with wonderful finds about this Tamron. I was looking for the right thing for my D750 and budget. I'm sold. Thank you, Matt.
Shockingly, I'm not surprised at this outcome. I start testing the 15-30 VC this week, but I've tested a number of Tamrons in the past couple of years and have ended up purchasing several of them. They are making some great lenses! Thanks for this early look, Matt. I test on Canon bodies and against different competition, so I was really interested to read the comparison vs. the mighty 14-24mm
Looking forward to your review (hopefully against the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS) Dustin :P
Andrew, that will certainly be in my mind as I put it through the paces!
Dustin Abbott Dustin, you always have fantastic lens reviews. Will you please test for coma? I am wondering how it compares to the Rokinon 14mm for astrophotography.
I am also interested to see how the Tamron's sharpness compares to the Canon 16-35 f/4 IS, since you reviewed that lens too. Thanks!
jmasta307
Not looking to hijack Matt's thread here, but sure, I'll definitely be looking at that. Pray for some clear skies during my review period :)
Dustin Abbott I have the 14-24 and the biggest issue for me with this les is the distortion when corrected in software - the corners get stretched to an agonizing degree. I'm considering the Zeiss 15 or the Tamron 15-30 as they both have a different type of distortion which would not result in losing millimeters of FL via stretched corners. I'd like to see a comparison of the 15-30 with the Zeiss.
15-30 Tammy is a great lens. I'm a FT real estate photographer and have been using this daily for 2 months. Very little real distortion, front element stays clean from dust, sharp, and while heavy I always know when it's in my hand so am conscious to not bang against door jams, railings, etc. This thing is a beauty and worth every penny. Thanks for the great vid Matt!
I have waited for this review. As the owner of the Tamron 24-70VC and the 70-200VC, I can say without a doubt that I'll be adding the 15-30VC to my collection. Thanks for the review Matt.
You got one thing backwards -- the molded aspherical element is for reducing optical aberrations (increasing sharpness), while the low-dispersion elements are for controlling chromatic aberration.
I think you just sold me on this Tamron lens. Thanks for the review! I was thinking of getting the NIkon 14-24, I'm glad I saw this vid.
Outstanding review, Matt Granger! Very professionally and objectively done. It's jam packed with info without all the wasted time you generally see in lens reviews. Thank you for the detailed tests, rather than a 5 minute video of you opening the box and saying, "It looks like a nice lens"
Great stuff as always. I've been anxiously awaiting this lens since your first video on it at Photokina
I have become a big fan of tamron glass since the 70-200. my 24-70 had/has some focus issues but is getting fixed under warranty. I also have the 10-24mm for the crop sensor(d7000) I have been waiting for this lens and it is on my list
I have to agree, I've been really pleased with the Tamron 2.8 VCs.
For the money they're incredible. I've had no issues.
The 10-30 is looking like a head and shoulders winner too.
I also have the Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC and the 70-200. They are fantastic lenses and for the money is well worth the investment.
tamron, sigma.. both great. but the nikon 300 f4 pf is very nice looking lens too..
What focus issues did you have? I sent mine back to B&H - the focus got stuck. New one is perfect. Great lens and I've used the Nikon 24-70. I have an iMac 5 k and the sharpness is close. I think I'm going with the Nikon 70-200 but might get this wide angle
Hi Matt, Although as an amateur photographer I don't think I ever can afford one of these lenses. Still I enjoy the way you show these lenses.
Thanks for the time and special for the good advice.
Thanks for the comparison, very surprising flare behavior. I, too, get those two line flares on the Nikon. I would have liked to see a comparison in shooting stars and Milky Way, particularly the coma behavior on the Tamron. A chance for part 2?
Matt Granger thanks for this review; it is always a joy to listen to your reviews on lenses. I have been looking for a good wide angle lens and I think you sold me the Tamron with the pricing which is within my budget. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks for the review! I was pretty set on the Nikkor 14-24, but held back because it was very expensive. The Tamron lens is about half of what the Nikkor lens costs, so I'm going to go that route! Thanks for the great info!
Tamron has come a long way. Respect!
How does sharpness and corner sharpness compare between the Tamron and the Nikon?
Quick and straight to the point. You're getting awesome at these reviews. Thanks!
Im scared of moisture entering from the front element shift and the external hood... am I scared with reason or not?
What about a comparison between the Tamron and the Canon 16-35mm 2.8L II? I think most Canon users will be very happy with it. Personally I'm waiting a pro comparison between the two, since I have a 6D and I'm considering to buy a wide-angle lens for landscape and videos. Cheers!
What do you recommend for properly drying/cleaning the glass after getting it wet? I shoot a lot of events around pools, out in the rain, etc... don't want to use the wrong process for constantly drying/cleaning and wearing off any special coatings.
I love that Tamron and Sigma have really stepped up their game lately. They're a truly viable alternative to Canon and Nikon's first party lenses now
My latest purchase has been the Sigma 120-300 2.8 and the Sigma 30-800 5.6. Am going on a big trip and planing on a lot of wildlife photos.
What is the best prime lens available from your experience? What I need in the lens:
1- a very sharp lens
2- fast auto focusing
3- auto focusing motor sound should not be heard in the video
4- it would be great if it has image stabilization but not a must
5- a f 1.8 but if f1.4 is available for a good price then ok.
6- under 1000$
7- 35mm, 50mm or 55mm
what do you think?
For the users in Sweden there is also the little warranty thing to remember. Sweden and some other countries has a 5(!) year warranty (requires registration) compared to Nikons 1(!!) year warranty. For me thats the definite deal breaker. I'm buying the Tamron 15-30!!! Thanks for a great review. I am tough looking forward to a picture that displays the difference between 14mm and 15mm. What more does the nikon actually cover with that extra 1mm???
I had this lens for a week and it was 2 days into my Iceland vacation. The wind decided it was time to do a drop test. Had my D800 on a tripod, 56", and the wind blew it over. The back of the camera hit the dirt ground, lens did not hit at all but the force cracked the rear barrel and separated from the front. Autofocus and VC were not really working anymore. Tamron gave me a $245 estimate to repair. At least the pictures were great for the 2 days I had it.
Why there isnt any review or compression for Sigma 12-24mm for Full frame. being the widest wdie zoom lens. we would like to see a review of it. or even better a comparison between this and tamron 15-30mm VC.
at 01:07-01:08 = the manual focus band of the Tamron lense - it seems to me that this focus band didn`t stop at the maximum focus end
I enjoy your reviews on Cams and Lenses Matt... Thinking later this season I will be stepping into the D610 world as my first FF.. I do think highly of Nikkor lenses... but you know what It is very cool to see that Tamron is one of the companies that is really stepping up thier game and thier quality aspect of products,, and making the market place wide open for a lot of us that dont always have the $$$$ to buy all of the big buck Nikkor Lenses.... Lots of landscape shots for me.... Keep the reviews coming I enjoy your world of knowledge,,, as I still consider myself a novice photographer,, but a hobby I truely love
Great review.
As a canon shooter, I can use filter on wide angle lens (16-35), Can I use filters on the Tamrom?
It looks it will not take filter at all.
You have to get special filters/holder like, fotodiox, lee sw150, lucroit etc
Matt, this is another great review of yours.
And this review is expected by many of us for sure.
Thanks a lot.
Previously you did several significant and very remarkable reviews titled "showdowns" or "battles" for 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses.
Is it possible for you to make a ultra-wide-angle-showdown between Nikkor 14-24, Tamron 15-30, Zeiss 15 T*2,8 and Canon 16-35 f/4 L IS?
That would be surely very interesting comparison of all times.
Why were the flower photos testing VC only on the Nikon and not on the Tamron? Also, the next photo of the sign is with what camera lens?? Great video, but got really unclear towards the end.
Great review, thanks! I have the Tamron 24-70 and 70-200. Now I can have the Tamron Trinity. I love Tamron lenses. Tamron has come a long way!
I want the Tamron but don't need the VC, it's the lower incidence of flare. I'd like to see if stars have a coma wide open though, that would be a deal breaker. I've tried the 24-70 from Tamron and stars in the corners look like seagulls at f/2.8
Very nice review. I have owned the 14-24mm and I was always supprized about the beautiful saturated colours. Gives the Tamron the same results ?
why there isn't even a comparison in corner shapeness while we are looking at the comparison of wide angle lenses???
You have the brick line you look at the top most line across the picture.
I had the same thought. I'm hoping he gives us some sample images to compare. Corner sharpness was the primary thing I care about and he didn't even mention it.
Bill KIM Thanks bill, I really tried to make this comprehensive without keeping people waiting. I now think of three more tests I should do, will try to do soon
Matt Granger Upload somewhere sample images. Thank you very much!
good job!
Bill KIM I agree, would like to seen corner sharpness also.
As far as the person who said search Flikr, Better if the info was in the video. Otherwise no thumbs up..
HI bro, i own this lens tamron 15-30 , what i want to ask u is ... how can i use ND holder filter ???? lens hood is diffrent not flat. so how ....
Matt, I'm planning to buy either the Tamron 15-30mm or the Nikon 14-24mm for my trip to Yosemite in June this year. I have a D810. I was just wondering if it's worth buying any of these two lenses, or will I be better off just renting one for the trip. It occurs to me that the Nikon 14-24mm is very old now and I hate to be that guy who buys a lens just before the upgrade. Please advise.
From looking at the Tamron in your demo, it appears the front element is similar to the Nikon, so the use of any normal filter is not a possibility....
Have you done any close inspection of this Tamron against the Sony FE 16-35mm by any chance? With Firmware 2.0 this lens becomes a fantastic alternative with the LAEA3 adapter.
A year ago my Nikkor 14-24 damaged inside the backpack. Repaired perfectly now I'm selling to buy this Tamron 15-30 f2.8.
I was shocked for the delicacy of 14-24 and I hope that the new Tamron is more impact resistant.
Then the poor resistance to flare of 14-24 I never liked it and I hope the Tamron 15-30 will be better in this area.
Last thing I think the 15-30 focal is more useful than 14-24 and the VC is a value added.
Could you do a test with buildings and if there's any distortion in the lines
I've been doing real estate photography for a few years now and I got rid of my Canon camera and lenses to buy a sony a77 because it has in body image stabilization which allows me to shoot hand held indoors at f8 and a lower ISO because I'm able to shoot at 1/8 of a second at 11mm on a Tokina 11-16mm. So my point is if you are wanting a large depth of field at a low ISO and not have to lug a heavy tripod around having "VC, IS" is really useful. I recently bought a a99 so I'm looking into my options and this is defiantly on my wish list now. I wonder if Tamron will take out the VC or IS for Sony a-mount as Sigma has on a few of their lenses. BTW I would have like to have seen the corner sharpness as well as some other people commented about.
Great review!
Thanks a lot... waited for that. I will order the Tamron in the near future, already having the 24-70 vc and the 70-200 vc and loving them!
Excellent review. I would have really loved to see a visual comparison between 14mm on the nikon vs 15mm on the tamron as that's a huge deciding factor for me.
I'm about to receive my 15-30 Tamron in the mail. I like the VC addition. But what I didn't realize is that there is no weather sealing on it! Just read that. What's your view about no weather seal? Compared with the 14-24 2.8 Nikon lens? I shoot in the mountains a lot, and also the desert on photo assignments. Man.... I even rented the Tamron before buying. Just didn't pay attention. It's an amazing lens. The weather seal thing though bugs me.
hi Matt sir,
I have baying the Nikon lens for wedding and portrait shoot so pls guide me.1) Nikon 16-80mm 2.8 lens 2) Tamron 15-30mm 2.8 lens pls pls pls answer me.
Just purchased the Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 yesterday. The difference between the two really is quite significant, in terms of sharpness and glare you'd think the Nikkor was the aftermarket glass. Distortion can be fixed in Lightroom/Photoshop so not fussed in that regard. Could have saved a little bit buying the Tamron but I'll stick with the Holy Trinity now...
Can you make a comparison with the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 ?
The canon is not even close.
Tom Erik Sivertsen Can you recommend a comparison, in text or a video, between those two?
KRusEdits The canon fall behind in the corners. Look at the MTF :
Nikon : www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/447-nikkor_afs_1424_28_ff?start=1
canon : www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/435-canon_1635_28_5d?start=1
Little review :www.terragalleria.com/blog/2012/10/29/nikon-14-24-lens/
I guess the tamron has the corner sharpness as the Nikon or better.
Tom Erik Sivertsen Canon is not even close. They're closer. With the 11-24mm f4
***** Maybe, but we were talking about the 16-35 f2.8 II now, so your comment doesn`t make any sense.
How about build and looks of a tamron after many months or years?
Hi Matt, one very important thing I would've hoped to be discussed in this is the infamous focus breathing that Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 suffer from.
How is it in the 15-30? Because as you said, that 1mm adds a lot!
I can't decide between this tamron or sony carl zeiss 16-35 for weddings.
Would this Tamron lens be good for video as well?
Was curios to understand why Nikon can make a 16-35 with a 77mm filter super wide sense but it seems once you get to 14mm and 15mm all the lenses have the bulbous front. I'm not sure where to look for this answer.... Would love a 15-30 with an 82mm thread... I'd give up the 2.8 for an f/4 or even a variable 3.5-4.5 like in Tamron's 10-24mm for DX cameras.
Which is the best the 14-24 or tamron 15-30? Money is not problem in singapore the price is $200 difference only which is the best to get?
I already have sigma 35mm 1.4art and nikon 85mm 1.8G which is sharp lens too!
I switched from Nikon to Tamron right after Tamron is launched. I do not see any point to buy Nikon giving its price tag, unless like Matt said you seriously need that 1mm difference in wide angle. For IQ, I think Nikon 14-24 should be selling at lower price.
Matt Granger As an architectural photographer - How do they compare in sharpness? Who's sharper in the corners? Which lens has less color fringing?
Love the review - Thank you!
I just wish they would finally come up with a material that would allow those lenses to be significantly lighter.
The nikon 300mm pf was going in that direction, but to my knowledge that Phasen-Fresnel thingy doesnt seem to become wide spread. Also its not another material. Their must be something that is lighter then glass but still have similar or better optical properties.
P.S. I do realize that that video is almost 2 years old now....
I just started and love shooting sun bursts. This can't damage the lens can it?
Matt Granger, how about Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 compare to Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8. both compare at 15mm f/2.8 which are better sharpness, contrast, color? TQ
Matt, could you show us a sharpness comparison? Let us see 1:1 at the center and far corner and see which one wins. Thanks
opjoipopikopp[pl[p[ I've seen other reviews, the Tamron wins in corner sharpness. Checkout dpreview.com
i really like, this lens and i think i am going to put it on the top of my purchase list to go as my walk around lens, though i am a bit lost between the tamron vc f1.8 primes and sigma new f1.4 primes, i.e. should i get the tamron 85 m vc F1.8 or the sigma 85 mm f1.4 and same thing for the tamron 35 mm vc f1.8 and the sigma 35 mm f1.4 art series, and finally which macro lens should i chose the tamron new 90 mm f 2.8 or the sigma 105 mm ... i would appreciate any advice
I'm deciding between the 15-30 tamron and the 16-35mm f/4L IS and I'm
pulling my hair out trying to choose the right one and there are 2
things I'm worried about holding me back from the tamron
So since the 15-30 retracts inwards when focusing/zooming, will dust be
able to get inside easily? Do you find that at all? Or does that never
happen?
Also is the tamron too heavy to be on a Dslr for long perieds of time? I
will be shooting on a tripod but, it seems like might be too heavy to
not have a tripod collar, Am I wrong about that as well?
I picked up a 17-35 Nikon and I like the lens but shooting with a wide lens dose give me a mixed bag of results love to know more about how to get the most out of this lens
Haven't used the Nikon 14-24mm, but love the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC. The lens truly appears sharp for me at all focal lengths. In your comparison, I'm not sure that the time to focus difference is significant enough for most. I just love the photos with this lens straight out of camera. I also love the feel/balance although it is heavy. I have not see color fringing, or marked distortion that wasn't easily correctable in Lightroom. The lens feels very well constructed. and solid. The star bursts (as you showed) are beautiful without being distracting. I would buy this lens all over again, if I needed to buy a WAZ all over again.
Thanks Matt, Nice review, I was considering the Nikon 14-24mm for wide angle, but price tag is high. For amateurs or beginners which lens for wide and a little zoom do you recommend. Looking for a lens that will replace the regular NIKON 18-55; I want something I can carry with my D3100; I already have a 55-300 for distance. Let me know, many thanks!!!
hey Matt...I know u said you've broke alot of 14-24's....have you ever had one with a stiff zoom ring? I just got a new one today.....ring is stiff as hell compared to my 24-70
Have had the Tamron 15-30 mm f/2.8 VR G1 for about 3 years now. It's a brilliant lens with fantastic image quality.
Hi Matt, thanks for all the great videos, do you think the Tamron 15-30 is good enough quality for use on a Nikon D800 ?
after an accident i had on a soccer game, and the ball came direct into my lens(a cheap canon 70-300 F4-5.6), i lost a tooth from that, but the lense 3 years after that, its still working fine without any problem... how can you manage to broke 3 lenses in half just dropping them down??
Thanks for the review Matt, Any chance you could do some testing on the Tamron for coma? As someone who shoots a lot of short, high ISO wide open shots of the night sky, comatic aberration can be a killer. The Nikon shines in this regard, even at 2.8. How about corner sharpness wide open?
Will the filter adapters for nikon 14-24 fit in the Tamron 15-30? Thanks.
can we have a comparison between Tamron 15-30mm F/2.8 VC with Canon 16-35mm F/4L IS
Hi. I havent heard how well this will work on crop sensor nikons?, sounds like I need one just for fun times
Have you tried the lens flare in long exposure at night? Just want to know because I don't want it to look like the tokina 16-28 f2.8 rainbow flare.
A shame you couldn't do a coma/edge sharpness test. The Nikkor is the best around for Astroscapes but the Tamron is really interesting as a challenger...
I got the Tamron 15-30mm for my Canon 5D mark iii, it is a great lens. I love it!!!
Maybe an updated review on the tamron 15-30 to the sigma art 14-24? Love your vids.
I was considering Nikon's 16-35 f4 VR, but now Tamron has this lens in the market at right about the same price. I shoot events, concerts, and sports and use the wide lens like this about 2 percent of the time at most, so never thought the 14-24 was a lens for me. I use D750 and D610 and D7100 bodies. I retired a Nikon 17-35 f2.8 this past February when it stopped auto focusing for the second time after repair (a 16 year old lens with lots of use on my DX bodies).
Matt Granger Great review! Very concise and covered a lot of things. I'm interested in the edge and corner sharpness comparison between the lenses for landscape photography, but I don't think you mentioned it in your review. Do you have the full size images for the sharpness test for us to view?
Also, I recall you mentioning that you wanted to compare this to the Tokina 16-28 F2.8, did you end up borrowing a copy of that to compare?
Matt Granger I'd also be interested in seeing a comparison between the Tokina and the Tamron. Or in hearing your thoughts on this for starters.
Cheers
Hey Matt, hope you can answer this.
Does the Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 focus breathing bother you?
Is it that noticeable?
I'm only an advanced amateur (I guess) but if it is that much of a difference don't know if it's worth it.
does the tamron 15-30mm lens have to be calibrated? any front focus or back focus issues?
Hi Matt, one year later... I´m interested for the tamron... Is it still as good ? Thank you for all!!!
+Oscar Jimenez No, it got much worse. Old age is setting in, like with old people sharpness of vision is getting blurred ... Jokes aside, what exactly should have changed? Why would it not be as good any more?
+AGH331 8-) I wanted to know if your opinion if his opinion has changed... only that...
How is this lens compared to Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR for VIDEO!! Is the VC as good as the VR on Nikon 16-35, Talking in terms of VIDEO and VIDEO only!!
This video has better contrast. which lens were you using or was it done in post
One thing that bothers me about the Tamron is that it basically has two lens hoods sandwiched together. Now...There is a small gap between the two. So what will keep water, dust, dirt, mud, or whatever from getting inside that gap. I guess thats why I like internal focusing so much. It's probably no big deal,but still something to think about.
Hi Matt! great video! thank you for sharing this review! im looking for a new wide angel lens to take wedding photography. can you recomend me which one should i buy? Im a nikon d810 user. few days ago im thinking to buy a Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8... but with this review idk... need recomendation! Thank you!
amazing! I own Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC and I love the quality. I'm considering getting this lens as well
Hi can you tell me how can I use nd filters with this lens please.
The Nikon 14-24mm has been on my shortlist for a while by following Clemens Pijls on facebook who makes a lot of very nice 14-24mm pics. But after watching your review, I bought the Tamron instead. Build quality feels on par with my Nikon 24-70mm 2.8, and while it's my first non-nikon lens, it does not feel like a B choice. The zoom ring needs a lot more force to rotate than the 24-70mm however, not sure how fluent it works on the 14-24mm. But it does not feel stuck, just needs more force, a lot more.
Just bought Tamron 15-30mm. Intend to use it primarily to the Northern Lights.
Hi Matt, Great video as always. I'm considering buying the Tamron 15-30 on Sony A-mount to use with LA-EA3+A7RM2. Have you heard of any incompatibility with focusing with LA-EA3? Thanks.
Another great content review Matt, hopefully will get this lens within this year for the D750 heard positive reviews on Tamron 15-30mm and from you as well. Happy exposing
Matt, This video is great. I am now seriously looking at the Tamron. One question, Approximately how much would we be loosing from 14mm to 15mm. Thanks
Approximately 6.7% :)
Thanks Matt, great to hear back from you. Come visit us in Calgary Alberta.
Hey Matt, Just picked the lens up. Super nice. I have one question I can't hear the VC in the lens. Is it just super quiet?
Thanks Matt, now I wait for the Tamron, was really fond of the Tokina 16-28 but now the 15-30 is equal if not better than 14-24 plus VR. it's literally a no brainer
great way to compare, thanks! I'm tempted buying the Tamron 15-30 for my Nikon D750
I bought this lens before seeing any review. It was the word of a pro at a shop. I was looking for a 20 f1.8 tbh but this was a chunky well built lens that really made punchy pics.
A year later, I can say no regrets, that extra one mm may have been needed in some cases but overall I'm extremely pleased with this lens.
Just feels a bit heavy after a couple of hours. lol
Matt Granger Which would you prefer, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 or the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8? Especially when the Sigma is only around $800 USD?
The Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and Tamron 15-30 f/2.8 are two very different lenses. The Sigma is made for APS-C bodies and the Tamron for FF. On APS-C, the Sigma you would get a fov of 27-53mm with dof of f/2.7 and the Tamron would give you 23-45mm with a dof of f/4.2. The Tamron costs more b/c it's made for FF, but the Sigma will outperform the Tamron if used on APS-C since it was made for that sensor size. Both are very good, but serve different purposes.
I don't own a crop camera - so not the Sigma
For crop sensor the tokina 11-20 f2.8 is probably the sweetest. I used to have a 11-16 f2.8 m2 and it gave some nice sunstars.
Matt Granger Are/were you able to test the 15-30 Tamron to see if the Nikon Auto Focus Fine Tune Adjustments could identify this lens uniquely?
What I mean is he Tamron 24-70 and 70-200 both look the same to Nikon's AutoFocus Fine Tune so if you have both and fine tune one, then when you use the other lens it gets the same AF fine tuune adjustments as the first. Do you know if this lens does the same?
Does this lens take 100mm square filter system?
Thanks Matt, great review & surprising conclusion. Are you planning to put them head to head against the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 if & when it comes out? A different and unique lens, I know, but I'd be interested to know what you make of it. Cheers.
It just shows how expensive and overrated some of these Canikon lenses are. Sigma and Tamron are destroying them and for half the price!
+Jee Vang do they? ... Used tamron 24-70 and 70-200 go for 90%+ of brand new price. Nikon and Canon ones go for 70-75%
+Bruno Lazaro Plus the warranty at least on the Tamron's is very long. I just got an LA-EA3 adapter myself so I can use Tamron's on my A7ii!
.....and old vintage lenses from the 70’s from Nikon destroy all the above for pennies! I got a Nikkor 70-210mm f4 D the other day and it makes some amazing shots with so much color depth and contrast it almost looks HDR from the RAW files. Cost me $80, LOL