The new Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens is already on sale in Japan, and Photography Blog reader Wesley Schlarb has kindly provided us with some sample images from this exciting full-frame ultra-wide-angle lens, as well as his first impressions of using it. All of the sample images are NEF Raw files taken with the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD mounted on a Nikon D610 DSLR.

These are my first impressions of the new Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens. The price in Japan figures to about $980USD, but taking into account the typical price differences between Tamron lenses here and in the States, the lens will probably retail for about $1500USD. It was released here in Japan on Christmas day, with no huge events or fanfare. Stocks did seem to deplete for a few days but were resupplied quite quickly. Yodobashi Camera, one of Japan's major camera stores, is saying that it is currently sold out at 60% of its locations, so it is selling well.

It's definitely big (98.4mm×142.5mm) and it carries some weight (1.1kg). That said, it doesn't feel overly heavy and it balances well (my usual walkaround lens is the Sigma 24-105mm F4 OS). The exterior is plastic, with rubberized focus and zoom rings. The rings feel nice and move smoothly with excellent damping. Focus is fast and quiet, as expected, and while I haven't done any lab tests, the VC image stabilization seems to work well.

As the MTF Charts indicate (http://www.tamron.co.jp/lineup/a012/mtf/), the resolution performance is consistently good. I cannot confirm whether or not it is the 14-24mm giant-killer that the charts suggest, since I haven't had the honor of trying the 14-24mm, but I am definitely pleased with the overall sharpness and contrast of the lens. On other fronts there is no heinous chromatic aberration, vignetting is present (but not ridiculous), there is some distortion, but given the focal lengths, it is well controlled.

Overall, it's a great lens, I'm glad that I bought it. I hope the pictures I've provided can give you an impression of the lens' capabilities inspite of my limited skills.

You can see more of my work on my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24326408@N03/

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD JPEG Images

Sample RAW Images

We’ve provided some Nikon RAW (NEF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

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