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Lens review

Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD

2 January 2020
Arkadiusz Olech

8. Vignetting

First let's check how the Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD performs on the smaller APS-C sensor of the Canon 50D – appropriate thumbnails you can find below.

Canon 50D, 35 mm, f2.8 Canon 50D, 35 mm, f/4.0
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 50D, 90 mm, f/3.5 Canon 50D, 90 mm, f/4.0
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 50D, 150 mm, f/4.0 Canon 50D, 150 mm, f/5.6
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting


In the case of the 35 mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture the brightness loss in frame corners amounts to just 15% (−0.46 EV) and then, on stopping down the aperture to f/4.0, it drops to an imperceptible level of 7% (−0.21 EV).


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The results in the middle of the focal range are even better: by f/3.5 vignetting reaches 12% (−0.36 EV) and it drops to 9% (−0.28 EV) after a slight stopping down of the aperture to f/4.0.

Officially the highest result you get at 150 mm and by f/4.0 - it amounts to 18% (−0.57 EV). Once again stopping down the aperture by one f stop reduces the level of light fall-off to a quite negligible value of 6% (−0.18 EV), eliminating the problem.

Let's see how the situation changes after passing to full frame – appropriate thumbnails can be found below.

Canon 5D III, 35 mm, f2.8 Canon 5D III, 35 mm, f/4.0
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 5D III, 90 mm, f/3.5 Canon 5D III, 90 mm, f/4.0
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 5D III, 150 mm, f/4.0 Canon 5D III, 150 mm, f/5.6
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting


The results in this case are distinctly worse than the values we saw on the smaller sensor. At the combination of 35 mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture you have to take into account as much as 55% (−2.32 EV) of brightness loss in the frame corners. It's a lot, especially that you deal here with wide angles of view.

Stopping down the aperture helps with curbing the vignetting but not to an extent we would expect. By f/4.0 you still have to deal with a level of 32% (−1.12 EV) of brightness loss, and by f/5.6 you see a value of 18% (−0.59 EV). By the f/8.0 vignetting still amounts to 15% (−0.47 EV) and further stopping down doesn't have any measureable influence any longer.

In the middle of the focal range the situation is a bit better. By f/3.5 the aberration, examined here, reaches as much as 46% (−1.77 EV); on stopping down to f/4.0 it drops to 37% (−1.34 EV). Results we obtained by f/5.6, f/8.0, and f/11.0 are, respectively: 20% (−0.63 EV), 12% (−0.38 EV), and 8% (−0.25 EV).

Very similar results can be observed at 150 mm where, at the maximum relative aperture, the vignetting is 45% (−1.74 EV); then it drops to 22% (−0.72 EV) on stopping down the aperture to f/5.6. Problems cease to be noticeable by f/8.0 and f/11.0, where we got the following results: 15% (−0.48 EV), and 9% (−0.28 EV).

Canon 5D Mk III, 35 mm, f/2.8
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 5D Mk III, 90 mm, f/3.5
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting
Canon 5D Mk III, 150 mm, f/4.0
Tamron 35-150 mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD - Vignetting