TAMRON SP 15-30mm f/2.8 DI VC USD G2 £1279/ $1299

New and improved, this is the second generation of Tamron’s stabilized ultra-wide zoom

Unique in this group, the Tamron sports an optical stabilizer or ‘Vibration Compensation’ system. Moreover, it’s an upgraded version in the G2 edition of the lens, with increased 4.5-stop effectiveness. Useful when shooting at dusk or indoors, but zero benefit for long exposures at night, where it’s best switched off.

There’s little change in the optical line-up, compared with the original lens. It’s still based on 18 elements in 13 groups, with XGM (expanded Glass Moulded Aspherical) elements and several LD (Low Dispersion) elements. However, the G2 adds a third ‘AX’ (Anti-reflection expand) coating, which was developed for coating curved convex elements. Solid build quality includes a set of weather-seals and a reformulated, durable fluorine coating on the front.

Unlike the other zoom lenses on test, the Tamron has a large zoom ring at the front and a relatively small focus

ring at the rear. Despite being narrow, it still enables precise manual focusing and manual override of the fast ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system.

Performance

Like the Sigma 14-24mm zoom, the Tamron delivers minimal barrel distortion and vignetting at its shortest focal length, although it can’t match the Sigma for maximum viewing angle. Sharpness is less impressive away from the centre of the frame, and there’s a little more lateral chromatic aberration, coma and astigmatism towards the corners.