Tamron 16-30mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2

The Tamron 16-30mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 ($929) is the direct sequel to the 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD zoom from 2019, a lens that bowled me over when I reviewed it thanks to its unbeatable combination of wide-angle coverage, full-frame optics, and affordable pricing. Rival Sigma was quick to strike back with a similar lens, the 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary ($989), and now it's Tamron's turn to take the lead in coverage range and features. The 16-30mm F2.8 G2 wrests our Editors' Choice endorsement away from the Sigma, mainly because of its lightning-fast autofocus and full weather sealing, while its slightly longer focal length is an added bonus.

Design: A Weather-Sealed Wide Zoom

The 16-30mm F2.8 G2 qualifies as a small zoom for a full-frame system. It measures 4.1 by 2.9 inches (HD), weighs 15.9 ounces, uses 67mm filters, and has an internal zoom design so it's practical to use with a small gimbal like the DJI RS 4 Mini . It's not the absolute smallest zoom of this type, however; the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G wins out with a 3.6-by-2.9-inch barrel and 14.4-ounce carry weight. There's almost no difference in size versus the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 Contemporary (4.0 by 3.0 inches, 15.9 ounces), though the Sigma uses a slightly larger front element so it works with 72mm filters.

Tamron puts more robust weather protection in the 16-30mm F2.8 versus the Sigma, however. The 16-28mm F2.8 Contemporary includes weather protection around its lens mount only, not at other potential points of ingress, and omits anti-smudge fluorine on its front glass. Tamron seals the lens throughout and includes fluorine on the front glass, so it's more practical to use under cloudy skies.

Wide-angle lenses aren't the best tools for bokeh because they simply don't provide enough compression for shallow depth of field in most situations, so the main reason to choose one is for use in dim environments. If you typically capture images under the sun, you may find the longer zoom range provided by a lens like the Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S or Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G more worthwhile.

Mounts: Made for Nikon Z and Sony E

Tamron makes the 16-30mm F2.8 G2 for Nikon Z and Sony E camera systems, and competes with a different set of lenses for each system. Nikon Z owners will weigh it against the aforementioned Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S ($1,349.95), the premium Z 14-24mm F2.8 S ($2,499.95), and the Z 17-28mm F2.8 ($1,299.95). The 14-30mm F4 S is an Editors' Choice winner and a good pick for photographers who crave an angle of view that's even broader than the 16-30mm provides. Nikon's 17-28mm F2.8 uses the same optical formula as the Tamron 17-28mm, however, so get the 16-30mm F2.8 G2 if you are deciding between the two.

Sony owners have more to think about. The Tamron 16-30mm F2.8 G2 gets an easy win over the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 Contemporary. The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G ($1,299.99) and FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G ($1,299.99) cost more, but you may prefer the former for its smaller size (especially for use with a gimbal), or the latter for its tighter angle and power zoom operation. Other notable options include the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art ($1,539), Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II ($2,299.99), and Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 Di III RXD ($699.99).

Controls: Limited, But Flexible On-Barrel Adjustments

The 16-30mm F2.8 G2 keeps it very simple when it comes to onboard controls. It has a zoom ring and manual focus ring, and one function button. The rings are self-explanatory, and the function button is a common enough feature on modern lenses, but Tamron adds some options for it that aren't available from your camera menu.

Out of the box, the button is set to follow whatever custom function you've got it mapped to in-camera. The default setting is typically focus lock (AF-L), but there are far more settings available—the a7R IV I use for Sony lens reviews has 27 options for the button. If that's enough for you, you should turn to Tamron's Lens Utility , a free download for Android, macOS, and Windows. It opens up several functions not typically available via the camera menu (AF/MF, Preset Focus, A-B Focus, Ring Function, Focus Stopper, and Astro FC-L).

Although I appreciate the flexibility provided by the Lens Utility, I don't actually like using any of the uncommon functions. I simply prefer a consistent interface from lens to lens, but that's at least in part because I have to switch between camera systems frequently for review work, so I tend to appreciate consistency more than flexibility.

I don't like that Tamron uses the function button to ostensibly replace a physical AF/MF toggle because it's a pain to go into camera menus to switch focus modes. It'd be slightly less of an issue if the zoom supported full-time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) override with Sony cameras, but unfortunately, that is not the case. The 16-30mm's manual focus ring only works when the camera is specifically set to MF mode.

Focus: Instant Response From VXD Motor

The 16-30mm F2.8 G2 uses Tamron's VXD focus motor, a linear drive system that is, by all practical measures, silent and instant. This is an improvement versus both the older Tamron 17-28mm and the Sigma 16-28mm; I clocked the latter at 0.6 seconds to drive focus from near to far when I reviewed it, while the Tamron snaps between focus planes immediately.

The manual focus experience is nearly as good. While I wish the focus ring provided a little more resistance, it doesn't quite rise to the level of looseness, and exhibits no discernible lag. I had no problems setting focus manually, and also note that the breathing effect is nominal to the point of being a non-concern. You don't have to worry about the frame blooming or shrinking with shifts to focus with this lens, so it's a good one to use for video as well as stills.

Wide zooms often focus quite close, and the 16-30mm F2.8 follows suit. It can lock onto subjects as near as 7.5 inches at 16mm and 11.8 inches at 30mm as measured from the image sensor for 1:5.4 and 1:7 life-size magnification, respectively. It's a good design for photos that put a smaller subject close to the lens to exaggerate the size of the background, but not ideal for traditional macro subjects like flowers, insects, and jewelry. You'll want a lens with a longer focal length and very close focus for those: The Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Art (for Sony) and Nikkor Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR S are the best I've tried for compatible cameras.

Optical stabilization is neither expected nor included with the 16-30mm F2.8 G2, as most wide zooms skip the feature. It's an academic issue as Nikon and Sony put in-body image stabilization (IBIS) into full-frame cameras as a rule. I managed sharp results for 1/4-second handheld exposures with the a7R IV, for instance.

Image Quality: Good Wide Open, Great Stopped Down

I tested the 16-30mm F2.8 G2 with the 60MP a7R IV and Imatest software to check its resolving power in our lab, and took it outdoors and to a local railroad museum to get sample images to show its character and rendering. The lens scores toward the top of the good range for the a7R IV at 16mm f/2.8 (3,800 lines), crosses into very good at f/4 (4,000 Iines), and is excellent from f/5.6-11 (4,400 to 4,500 lines). Corners are pretty soft at wide apertures, so landscape photographers should stop down to f/5.6-11 for the crispest corners. I also tested the lens at 22mm and 30mm and observed slightly lower scores at corresponding apertures.

The Tamron scores slightly lower than the Sigma 16-28mm in the lab. The Sigma is excellent at maximum aperture and delivers outstanding central resolution (5,000 lines) stopped down. Photographers who use a camera with a 45MP or 60MP sensor will see the benefits, but it's less of a difference maker on 24MP and 33MP chips. If critical sharpness is your top priority, it's worth spending more on Sony lenses; the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G and FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G both score in the outstanding range at maximum aperture. I wasn't able to test the 16-30mm F2.8 G2 with a Nikon Z camera to see how it holds up against Nikkor lenses.

You can coax sunstars out of the 16-30mm F2.8 G2 at its minimum f/16 aperture. Stopping down that far introduces optical diffraction, an effect that scatters light particles as they pass through a narrow iris, so details are soft overall, but diffraction also causes small points of light to render as 18-point starbursts. The sunstars I got from this lens split apart as they extend from the center, an effect that I also saw with the Sigma 16-28mm.

The lens relies on digital corrections to remove geometric distortion from images and compensate for a vignette. If you use your camera for JPG images or video, these are applied automatically and transparently. But if you're like me and enjoy the freedom to tone and color correct Raw images, you'll need to apply a correction profile to remove noticeable barrel (at wide angles) and pincushion distortion (when zoomed in) from scenes, and brighten dimmed corners. Adobe has not yet added the lens to its Camera Raw processor, but Tamron provided me with a prerelease copy and it works like a charm. With corrections applied, the zoom is appropriate to use for architecture and other scenes where straight lines are key to a successful image.

It is possible to get some bokeh with this lens at its maximum aperture, but as with any wide-angle optic, it is situational. Background blur is most apparent when zoomed in and focused close. In those instances, the bokeh is pleasingly soft, though it does not typically melt away into nothing as you'd expect from a wider aperture prime or an f/2.8 telezoom. I didn't spot any significant false color (longitudinal chromatic aberration), and I like that defocused highlights show softened, feathered edges and are mostly free of ugly onion skin texture. The combination lends itself to images that show softer backgrounds without too many distracting elements.