| The Tamron 10-24mm lens was designed for use | | | | problem is flare. If there is a light source at the |
| on crop sensor DSLRs. For Nikon DX camera | | | | edge of the frame, it often produces a very |
| owners, it has a quite useful (35mm equivalent) | | | | distinctive red halo, which can be annoying |
| focal length range of 15-36mm. For Canon APS-C | | | | sometimes. |
| cameras, the range becomes 16-38mm due to | | | | Size / Handling |
| the slightly larger crop factor. In both cases, it | | | | Physically, this lens is not small, the length is |
| covers a useful range from extreme wide angle | | | | modest, but the diameter at the front of the lens |
| to only slightly wide. | | | | is quite large. I was concerned that it would be |
| Focal length range | | | | very front heavy on my Nikon D40, but actually |
| The 10-24mm range of the Tamron was the | | | | it balances quite well. It is much lighter than the |
| widest (for a wide angle zoom) until the | | | | looks suggest, but I also suspect that much of |
| introduction of the Nikon 10-24mm, and it is still a | | | | the weight is close to the camera. In terms of |
| strong point of this lens. At the wide end, it goes | | | | size and handling, I found it quite similar to the |
| all the way to 10mm. While it may seem like | | | | Nikon 18-105 VR. I also like that the zoom ring is |
| nitpicking to praise a 10mm lens over a 11 or | | | | closer to the camera than the focus ring, I can |
| 12mm lens, at such small focal lengths, a | | | | never get used to the other way around. The |
| difference of 1mm is actually quite large. For | | | | autofocus / manual focus switch is much easier |
| example, the Nikon 12-24 has an angle of view of | | | | to use and feels much better than the same |
| 99° at the wide end, where as the Nikon 10-24 | | | | switches on Nikon lenses. The zoom ring has a |
| has 109°. 2mm makes quite a difference. At the | | | | very lazy travel of almost 90°, which feels kind |
| other end of the range, it goes all the way to | | | | of weird. The minimum focus distance is also very |
| 24mm. While this is not the reason you buy the | | | | small, which is nice for getting close to things. |
| lens, it overlaps quite nicely with the usual 18-xx | | | | Hands-on |
| zoom lenses and thus saves frequent lens | | | | Being an extreme wide angle lens, it is quite |
| changes. | | | | different to use compared to any other type of |
| Distortion | | | | lens. At 10mm, the angle of view is extremely |
| One of the nicest things about this lens is the | | | | wide, and using it like a normal lens produces quite |
| relatively low barrel distortion. Even at the widest | | | | boring images. You end up with large amount of |
| setting of 10mm, the barrel distortion is only | | | | empty ground and sky around your subject in the |
| moderate. It is certainly less noticeable than the | | | | middle. You have to be very careful with your |
| Nikon 18-105mm VR at 18mm. Note that I am | | | | composition to actually fill the frame properly. A |
| talking about barrel distortion and not perspective | | | | lot of times, this means getting very close to the |
| distortion, which is normal (and unavoidable) at | | | | subject, and moving just a centimeter or two |
| 10mm. | | | | then has an enormous effect on your |
| Autofocus | | | | composition. You have to be much more patient |
| Since the Tamron has an internal autofocus | | | | and careful while composing. I like that it allows |
| motor, it works with the Nikon D40, D40x, D60, | | | | you to put a tiny thing in the foreground right |
| D3000, D5000 bodies which have no autofocus | | | | next to a huge thing in the background. |
| motor. I found the focus quiet and accurate even | | | | Indoors, this lens is a joy to use, you never have |
| with my lowly D40, it doesn't hunt or fail to | | | | the problem of "I can't back up any more!". It |
| acquire focus. Focusing speed is not the fastest, I | | | | makes even small spaces look massive. It is also |
| would say it is similar to the Nikon 18-55mm kit | | | | fun to smile at people who ask "Am I in the |
| lenses. | | | | frame?", not only are they always in the frame, |
| Image quality | | | | they are usually 1-2 meters from the edge. |
| Frankly, you are on the wrong website if you are | | | | However, be careful about having people near the |
| looking for detailed sharpness comparisons or | | | | edges of the frame due to the strong |
| something similar. All I can say is, the image | | | | perspective distortion at the wider focal lengths. |
| quality of this lens is good enough for me not to | | | | This is not a fault of the lens itself, but a |
| notice any obvious problems. The only obvious | | | | consequence of using such extreme focal lengths. |