There is a funny thing going on with this new Tamron SP AF 17-50mm 2.8 XR Di II VC LD Asp IF. Sometimes it does not focus.
What happens is this: I try to make an image, I recognize that the camera does not focus, i.e. I get no AF confirmation beep (yes, Ken Rockwell says that’s unmanly, I know 
), I turn the camera off, on again, half-press the shutter release, and it works. Perfect autofocus.
It doesn’t happen all the time. I can’t yet tell when it happens and when not. Due to the way I work, it does not really bother me, but I recognize that it may bother other people to the point where it renders this lens useless for them. Just think of someone using it to photograph children or animals. This is the kind of photography where you can’t accept that a lens sometimes needs a hard reset.
As I said, so far I have not found out if there is a certain pattern, and if so, what the pattern is. Those things need time, but I currently look into it, consciously try to find it out. The only thing that’s for sure at the moment is, that there is indeed a problem.
If you have such a lens (I am talking of the new, stabilized version), regardless of what your experience is, if it works for you or not, please drop me a line. I’m really interested to find out.
The Song of the Day is “Silver & Gold” from Neil Young’s equally titled 2000 album. See part of a live performance on YouTube.
not very good at technical specifications of camera stuff.
they are out of focus.
i think stuff has to do, where for it is ment for. if it doesn’t, it sucks.
like cars with flat tires
of course it doen’st mean that you can’t have a jolly good time.
call it an unexpected chance to focus more on things you love to do.
focus or out of focus or even not always reliable autofocuses.
if you’ve got an eye for it, it will always bring you something
have a nice evening, andreas
this time i prefer the blueish silver image
i think it’s the focus on the type, i love so much
and the light
I have got the focus problem with my 17-50 VC as well. In my case it´s a result of turning the focus-ring when the focus-button is set at auto-focus. The only way to get it focus again, is to “restart” the camera, just as you mentioned.
I was very happy with the Tamron 17-50 VC until I bought the Canon 15-85 IS (lucky bargain 125$!!). The Canon lens focus a lot faster and more silent than the Tamron. I also prefer the bokeh and saturation of the Canon, but I guess this is a matter of taste. In addition the focus-range of the Canon is almost twice the size of the Tamron. I regard the 15-85 IS as the best all-round lens in the crop-camera segment, and use it at least 75% of the time. If I need a larger aperture than the 15-85 IS offer, I most often use my Canon 50mm 1,8. I only use the Tamron in relatively dark settings that recuire wide-angle, and the use of flash is either prohibited or by other reasons not prefered. I would rather recommend the combination of Canon 15-85 IS, than a Tamron 17-50 VC. In addition the 15-85 IS fit much better than the 17-50 VC to a Canon 70-200mm. I think a set of 50mm 1,8 or 1,4, a 15-85 IS and a 70-200mm IS will cover most photographers demands. If you regard 3x zoom, IS and f2.8 extremely attractive, I would rather try the Canon 17-55 IS. I have only tested the 17-55 IS a couple of days, but in my opinion this lens is far better than the 17-50 VC.
(Sorry, my written English is horrible. I promise to improve it in the future.)