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Features

3 Tamron Lenses Perfect for Landscape and Cityscape Photographers

Brett Day
No Comments
11/26/2019
3 Mins read
Paul Ip The Phoblographer Tamron SP 15-30mm f2.8 Di VC USD (Canon EF) Product Image 02

Last Updated on 11/26/2019 by Mark Beckenbach

There are some excellent wide and telephoto Tamron lenses that landscape and cityscape photographers should take a look at.

Tamron is one of the third-party lens manufacturers that has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, not only upping their game in regards to build quality, but also bumping up the quality of the optics they use. Tamron lenses are some of the best you can get your hands on for multiple platforms, and they remain incredibly affordable. If you love using Tamron lenses or have been thinking about picking up some of their glass for your landscape and cityscape photography, this roundup is for you. Here we will take a look at three Tamron lenses more than worthy of being part of any landscape or cityscape photographers kit.

The Tamron lenses we have listed below are perfect for landscape and cityscape photographers thanks to robust construction (including generous amounts of weather sealing), and superb optics that help you capture a ton of detail. We have listed a couple of wide-angle lenses Tamron lenses, and a telephoto lens as well. A lot of people will tell you only wide-angle lenses should be used for these two genres of photography, but they would be wrong. Telephoto lenses are great for landscape work as they allow a photographer to focus on one key element in a scene. If you haven’t tried a telephoto lens before for landscape work, you owe it to yourself to give one a try. Check out the three Tamron lenses we wouldn’t hesitate to take with us to capture both landscapes and cityscapes.

Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Weather sealed
  • Sharp image quality
  • Fast autofocus – nearly on the same level as Sony
  • Compact
  • Lightweight
  • Overall pretty useful

Cons

  • My qualms aren’t as much with this lens as they are with Tamron’s f2.8 zoom trinity

Buy now ($899): Adorama

Tamron lenses
Captured with the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 Di VC USD G2

Pro Tip: These Tamron lenses are perfect for landscapes and cityscapes, but being out in the elements will make them dirty really quickly. Nothing will ruin a shot more quickly than debris on your front element. Sure, you can remove the dirt from your image during post, but we highly recommend cleaning your lens while on the go. The quicker you can take care of the mess, the better. You’ll get better images, and your gear will last longer. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good cleaning kit either.

Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Fast maximum aperture of f2.8
  • Durable construction
  • Ultra-wide focal length range suitable for everything from Architecture, Real Estate, Landscape, Street, and Travel Photography
  • Includes vibration compensation – Tamron’s name for their optical stabilization tech
  • Moisture-resistant construction
  • Canon version includes an integrated filter holder on the lens mount side

Cons

  • Considerably heavy
  • Chunky in size
  • Noticeable distortion (although correctible during post)
  • Traditional filters aren’t supported, the front of the lens lacks filter threads, and the front element is convex and protrudes significantly

Buy now Canon EF ($1,199): Adorama

Buy now Nikon F ($1,199): Adorama

Tamron lenses - 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD
Captured with the Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD

Pro Tip: You can have the best lenses in the world, but when it comes to landscape photography, if you don’t own a tripod you’ll never get the most out of them. One of the best pieces of advice we can give is to purchase a quality tripod. Seriously, don’t cheap-out on a low-cost supermarket buy, spend the extra money and get a sturdy, reliable tripod that can hold the weight of your gear. After all, you likely spent thousands of dollars on your camera, would you really trust a $50 tripod to hold it? These two tripods would be high on the list of tripods we recommend; the MeFOTO Roadtrip, and the Vanguard VEO 2 235CB. We have reviewed both of them and they’re perfect for landscape and cityscape work.

Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD

Tamron Lenses 70-210mm f4

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Weather sealing
  • Nice build
  • Small
  • Very good image stabilization
  • Good colors
  • Pretty good image quality

Cons

  • Autofocus can be wonky

Buy now Canon EF ($599): Adorama

Buy now Nikon F ($599): Adorama

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