Tamron 35mm f/1.8 VC Lens Review: Powerhouse prime puts the pressure on its peers

posted Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 4:05 PM EDT

Alongside the SP 45mm f/1.8 VC lens we reviewed earlier, Tamron also introduced a wider 35mm lens -- the SP 35mm f/1.8 VC. After testing the longer version, with very pleasing results, we were excited to take the 35mm prime out for a spin and put it to the test in our lab. The Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 VC is a rather unique lens. There are not that many fast primes that offer built-in image stabilization, nor any other that offer this combination of a bright f/1.8 aperture, weather sealing and a competitive, affordable price point.

Like its 45mm sibling, the 35mm is a an all-around excellent lens. It's not "perfect" -- though not many lenses are -- it's quite sharp wide-open, though expect some softer corners and some vignetting here as well. Stopping down improves this greatly, and the lens is very sharp in general. The built-in image stabilization works well, and is a lovely feature to have especially if you're into HD-DSLR filmmaking.

Canon 5DS R: f/1.8, 1/200s, ISO 100

Long known as a producer of affordable zoom lenses, Tamron is revamping their "SP" line of higher-end lenses, starting with these two premium, full-frame, f/1.8 primes. They've taking a page from Sigma's playbook, yet taking it a step further by offering not only a more affordable option against the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art, but also pricing the SP 35mm f/1.8 VC squarely even against Canon's 35mm f/2 IS and Nikon's 35mm f/1.8G. The Tamron is certainly an attractive option indeed.

Head over to our full Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 VC lens review for all the details, test images, charts and image stabilization test results. For some real world sample images, check out a few more resized images below, or check out full-resolution shots over on our Flickr page.

The Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 VC comes in at a very competitive price point at around $599, and includes a lens hood and SILKYPIX Developer Studio 4.0 image editing software. Check out purchasing links below for more info on ordering. Buying this lens, or any other item, at one of these trusted affiliates helps support this site and keeps the reviews coming!