Tamron 10-24mm f/3.54.5 Di II VC HLD

£529/$499 New, improved and better in every respect

Originally launched back in 2008, Tamron’s 10-24mm zoom got a major revamp last year. The new optical path includes enhanced aspherical and LD (Low Dispersion) elements. There’s also a new HLD (High/low toquemodulated Drive) autofocus system and VC (Vibration Compensation) stabilization, both of which were lacking in the original lens.

Not just faster and quieter, the HLD AF refines handling as the focus ring no longer rotates during AF, while also enabling full-time manual override. Build quality is ace, and it’s the only DX format lens here to boast a full set of weather-seals, as well as a keep-clean fluorine coating on the front element.

Performance

Shooting at very close range, the Tamron delivered fairly mediocre results in our tests. It was a different story in our ‘real-world’ tests, however, where sharpness proved excellent across the frame, and throughout the zoom range. Short-zoom barrel distortion at everything other than very close focus settings also becomes fairly minimal.