Tamron SP 24-70 mm f/2.8 VC USD G2 review - Distortion

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Tamron SP 24-70 mm f/2.8 VC USD G2

18 December 2018

Arkadiusz Olech

6. Distortion

When you work with the smaller sensor of the Canon 50D distortion might be bothersome only at the shortest focal length. In its case you deal here with its barrel variation of −2.52%. The problem decreases to −0.55% on passing to 35 mm. At the 50 mm focal length the distortion changes sign and becomes pincushion of almost negligible level, that of +0.20%; at 70 mm it increases to still not especially problematic value of +0.49%.

There are much more problems on full frame. By 24 mm distortion is not only very distinct, it also turns into its moustache variation. An average result across the frame amounted to −4.51% but when you limit the measurements to the 1:1 area that value increases to −5.0%.

Fortunately, with the increase of the focal length the problems decrease very quickly. At 35 mm you get its ‘barrel’ version of −0.75%, and at 50 mm there are pincushion deformations of +0.74%. At the maximum focal length distortion increases a bit more, being +1.28%.

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Rival lenses produced by third-party manufacturers (Sigma and Tokina) also got help from moustache distortion but their results were lower. Nikon and Canon lenses didn’t feature moustache distortion at all and their results, at the widest angle of view, kept close to −4%.