Review Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD

The new Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD is an ultra-wide-angle zoom for APS-C and DX sensors. With a range of 10-24mm, the Tamron offers more than many other brands. Canon delivers for its own system, for example, a 10-22mm and a less expensive 10-18mm. Nikon has a 12-24mm. That 10-24 mm corresponds for Nikon with a 15-36mm in 35-mm equivalent and for Canon, due to the slightly different size, with 16-38mm. The price tag of this new zoom is modest, but the specifications are not. The lens is improved on a great many points relative to its predecessor. You see that in the optical performance, which is noticeably better. You also notice it in using the lens, because this lens has, for example, image stabilization. For a wide-angle lens, that is unusual, but not illogical today. The Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD is a very good ultra-wide angle that offers a great deal of value for the money.

BUILD AND autofocus

The Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD is a completely new design, even though the name is only slightly different from that of the previous model, the 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD Asph. You hardly notice a difference in the dimensions. Both are about the same length at just under 8.5 cm, and there is not much difference in weight either, with the new lens just 24 grams heavier at 440g. The design is quite different. The lens looks very modern with a smooth finish of the non-moving parts and the light ring just in front of the mount. Internally, it is also a completely different story. The new lens contains 16 lens elements in 11 groups, where the old one ‘only’ had 12 elements in 9 groups. The lens is sealed against dust and water and is equipped with rubber padding on the back. The front lens element has a fluorine coating so that grease and dirt do not stick to the glass and are easy to remove. And as if that weren’t enough, the Tamron also has Vibration Compensation, as Tamron calls the image stabilization. The lens has two switches for the autofocus and the image stabilization, and it feels very solid. Everything moves smoothly, but not too easily, and there is no play at all in the lens. This is a lens to enjoy for a long time.

For the autofocus, Tamron uses a new system: HLD. That stands for High/Low torque-modulated Drive. The autofocus is quite fast and quiet. The Tamron also has Full-time Manual Focus Override. With this, you manually adjust the focus at any time. There is a switch on the lens with which you can turn off the autofocus, but thanks to this function you will not have to do that often.

TAP-in

Following Sigma, Tamron now also delivers a dock for their lenses. It is called the TAMRON TAP-in Console. When you put the Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD on the dock, you can connect the lens via USB to a computer for firmware updates. You can also make small adjustments to the image stabilization and the autofocus with the TAP-in Console, if that’s needed.

IMAGE STABILIZATION

You don’t often see stabilized wide-angle lenses. The Canon EF-S 10-18mm IS STM is one of the exceptions. Many manufacturers reason that you do not need it on lenses with such short focal lengths because you still get sharp shots at relatively long shutter times. But that, of course, does not apply for video. For that, image stabilization is more than welcome when filming by hand, even with wide angles. The Tamron is available with Canon and Nikon mounts, and neither brand has built-in image stabilization in their cameras. That makes it nice to have in this lens. Image stabilization is also nice in situations where you have to make a great effort as a photographer, like mountain climbs. Intense physical effort causes your hands to shake. And with Tamron’s VC, you still get sharp pictures then. The system works well. It creates a quieter image when filming and results in a couple stops profit when you are photographing.

VIGNETTING, FLARE AND DISTORTION

The Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD also has little trouble from flare. If you shoot into the sun, then some small reflections can appear now and then. The Tamron 10-24 is a wide-angle zoom with solid performance. The distortion is quite low. In RAW, it is no more than 1.5% barrel-shaped at 10mm and about 0.75% pin-cushion shaped at 24 mm. Around 15mm, the lens is practically neutral. If you correct the files automatically in Lightroom, then the distortion is a negligible 0.3% across the whole range.

IMAGE QUALITY

In optical performance, Tamron has taken a big step forward with this lens. With the old lens, the corners were never really good. The new lens has no problem with that. Even at full aperture, the center sharpness is good, and the corners are also already quite reasonable. The quality increases a bit more with stopping down. We did some of the test shots with the Canon M5, which has no profile for automatic correction for the Tamron. Even so, the shots looked good. You see some vignetting and a little bit of chromatic aberration, but it isn’t much. If you shoot in RAW, then it is easy to eliminate.

ConclusiON: REVIEW OF Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD

PROS

• Good image quality
• Big zoom range
• Good autofocus
• Solidly built
• Little distortion
• Dust- and moisture-resistant
• With image stabilization

CONS

• None, really