Dustin has completed our review of the brand new Tamron 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD. Tamron is going head-to-head with Sigma and Canon for high performance prime lenses. While Sigma has significantly undercut Canon in the price department, Tamron has gone even further. While not an f/1.4 lens, there will likely be a lot of buyers that are interested in spending $300 less than the Sigma counterpart if the performance is there.
Using this lens reminded me of how much I enjoy the 35mm focal length, and the extreme flexibility of this instrument was a real joy to use in unleashing my creativity. In the US market it is priced equally with the Canon 35mm f/2 IS (still a very valid option!) at $599. This undercuts the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART by a fairly wide margin of $300 (the Sigma is currently $899). In the US market this makes the Tamron an extremely compelling option on price, but some other markets are currently showing a much less definitive price advantage for the Tamron. Price aside, however, this is certainly a lens that can compete on merit. The Tamron has a lot of strengths to offset its slightly slower aperture when compared to the Sigma. Its amazing close focus capability, exceptional build, image stabilizer, and great optics overshadow the occasionally busy bokeh highlights and slight bit of chromatic aberrations. Read the full review…
Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD $599: Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon