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The Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD Lets You Shoot in the Rain with a $599 Price Tag

Chris Gampat
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08/06/2018
4 Mins read
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Last Updated on 08/12/2018 by Mark Beckenbach

Yes, the Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD is real and it’s coming for Nikon F mount with Canon EF to follow.

Tamron continues to make lenses that promise to be really nice, and Tamron also gives them a super affordable price point. The new Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD seems to be adhering to that philosophy. With their token silver ring around the mounting, this lens will go for $599 and will feature moisture resistance–which means that you’ll be able to shoot with it in the rain when the opportunity comes around. In addition to that, it has seven aperture blades for creamy bokeh, or at least as creamy as you’re possibly going to get for a variable aperture, wide angle, zoom lens. Perhaps most disappointing though is the lack of mount availability. The Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD will only be for Nikon F mount initially (the Canon EF mount will be coming later).

So why is this such a curious move?

Unless there’s a genuine supply problem for Tamron (which I doubt), most manufacturers create things for Canon EF mount first and then Nikon next. After that comes Sony, Fujifilm, and Micro Four Thirds. But perhaps Tamron wants to see what’s going to happen with the Canon EF mount and gauge how they do business. For the life of me, I don’t understand why they aren’t trying to make more lenses for Fujifilm, or even more importantly the Sony FE system. There is currently one lens from Tamron that is designed for Sony FE cameras and this lens could have provided a great entry for Sony shooters.

There is absolutely nothing like the Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD available for Sony FE cameras, and it could have been a fantastic entry point. Sony has 16-35mm f4 and a 16-35mm f2.8 G Master, but nothing at this low of a price point–especially with a bit of weather sealing.

Product highlights and Specs are below.

Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD Product Highlights

High-performance imaging for shooting vast landscapes in sharp detail

The optical construction (15 elements in 10 groups) uses four LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements to minimize axial chromatic aberrations that can occur with ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses. With two properly positioned GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) lenses, distortion and other aberration can be satisfactorily corrected as well. Being the smallest and lightest in its class and dedicated to high quality imaging, the engineers have paid particular attention to size. The lens has also been carefully designed to allow peripheral point image reproducibility and thereby facilitate a high degree of sharpness and contrast. The Minimum Object Distance (MOD) for the entire zoom range is a short 11 in., so background blurring is still possible when opening the aperture and approaching the subject close-up with this ultra-wide-angle zoom.

Advanced coating technology along with proprietary ghosting analysis simulation technology enabled the high level of backlighting control

Resistance to backlighting is extremely important for wide-angle lenses as they are often subjected to strong light sources. The Model A037 has a high level optical construction that repeatedly employs comprehensive ghosting analysis simulation. The BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating is highly effective in reducing reflection, allowing ghosting and flare throughout the entire zoom range to be controlled.

OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) enables both excellent AF speed and drive noise reduction

The AF drive system employs an OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) to ensure quiet operation. Through the innovative optimization of the system that includes AF system speed reduction gear, Tamron could greatly reduce the drive noise in comparison to conventional AF types with built-in DC motors. AF performance and speed have also been vastly improved. Thus, even if silence is required, AF can be employed without having to worry at all about noise creation. The Model A037 can provide superlative AF precision for exact focus even when shooting moving objects, as well as outstanding trackability.

Circular aperture to produce a smooth-edged bokeh

A 7-blade diaphragm is configured to retain a smooth, circular-shaped aperture opening even when stopped down by two stops from the wide-open aperture. This produces a smooth-edged bokeh in background light spots and avoids rugged aperture geometry.

Moisture-Resistant Construction

Seals are located at the lens mount area and other critical locations to prevent infiltration of moisture and/or rain drops to provide Moisture-Resistant Construction. This feature affords an additional layer of protection when shooting outdoors under adverse weather conditions.

Fluorine Coating

The surface of the front element is coated with a protective fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellant qualities. The front surface is easier to wipe clean and is less vulnerable to the damaging effects of dirt, dust, moisture or oily fingerprints, allowing for much easier maintenance. The coating also provides an enhanced level of durability, and will sustain its effectiveness for years.

Compatible with TAMRON TAP-in ConsoleTM, an optional accessory

The new A037 is compatible with the optional TAMRON TAP-in Console, an optional accessory product that provides a USB connection to a personal computer, enabling users to easily update a lens’s firmware as well as customize features including fine adjustments to the AF.

Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 Di OSD SPECIFICATION

Model : A037
Focal Length : 17‐35mm
Maximum Aperture : F2.8-4
Angle of View (diagonal) : 103°41′ – 63°26’　(for full-frame format)
: 78°46′ – 43°29’　 (for APS-C format)
Optical Construction : 15 elements in 10 groups
Minimum Object Distance : 11.0 in.
Maximum Magnification Ratio : 1:4.9
Filter Size : Ø77mm
Maximum Diameter : Ø3.3 in.
Length* : for Canon 3.6 in.
: for Nikon 3.5 in.
Weight : for Canon 16.2 oz.
: for Nikon 16.2 oz.
Aperture Blades : 7 (circular diaphragm)**
Minimum Aperture : F/16-F/22
Standard Accessories : Lens hood, Lens caps
Compatible Mounts : Canon, Nikon

Specifications, appearance, functionality, etc. are subject to change without prior notice.

  • Length is the distance from the front tip of the lens to the lens mount face.

**The circular diaphragm stays almost perfectly circular up to two stops down from maximum aperture.

autofocus canon canon ef dslr fujifilm lens moisture resistance mount nikon sony Sony FE Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD weather sealing
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.