Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD - still the best ultra wide angle zoom for the money!

Mike Stehlik
May 3
6 min read

Updated: May 4

So, I’ve been reviewing camera lenses for a while now, yet for some reason, I’ve always ended up ignoring the very first one I bought when I was getting into the landscape photography - even though it’s probably the one I’ve used the most.

Product photo of the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD lens for Sony E-mount – a compact ultra-wide-angle zoom ideal for landscape, architecture and video.

It’s none other than the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD - one of the best wide angle zooms out there.

This lens has been through it all with me...freezing mountain temperatures, the insanely humid Scottish Highlands, an accidental swim in Lago di Sorapis and countless miles on the bike and on skis (imagine the shakes and shocks). Yet even after all those years, it's still going strong, just like the day I got it.

Landscape photo from a freezing morning in the High Tatras, captured with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD – photo by Michal Stehlik.

And while I'll be showing you some of my favourite shots I've taken with the 17-28, we'll also deep dive into the tech behind it - so by the end of this blog, you'll know whether or not this lens is worth your money (spoiler alert: it is, haha!).

Moody mountain scene near Téryho chata in the High Tatras – raw rocky terrain, dramatic storm clouds and a stream leading the viewer’s eye into the frame. Photo by Michal Stehlík, shot with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

Oh, if you’d rather watch than read, check out the video review right here...

So, Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (internally labeled A046)...

Yeah, sounds like something out of a NASA parts catalogue – but don’t worry, it’s not rocket science. Here's the breakdown:

Di III (Digitally Integrated Design) - Lenses specifically designed for mirrorless cameras, in this case for Sony Full Frame E-mount (Sony FE).
F/2.8 - This means you get constant bright aperture, which is a huge help in low-light situations and also makes it easier to achieve a shallower depth of field or subject separation - even at wider focal lengths.
RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) - Tamron's quiet autofocus motors, which might not be their absolute newest focusing tech like those beautiful linear VXD motors, but still plenty fast for most situations - including a video (seriously, it nails eye focus like a champ!).

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get into the technical stuff, because there are a few key reasons why I really love this lens:

Exceptional image quality for the money - You can literally get it for around 800USD or EUR - for fast f/2.8, damn sharp lens! That's incredible and almost impossible to beat!
It’s lightweight - I mean, 420 grams for ultra-wide angle lens? You’ll be happy to carry it with you everywhere!
This thing is damn durable - I love how Tamron does their weather sealing. It’s been through all sorts of conditions with me - heavy snow, humidity, water, sand... you name it - and even after 5 years of almost daily usage, it’s still going super strong.

Illustration of the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD lens sealing – showing all weather-resistant points against dust and moisture. — *Body is also sealed against dust and moisture at all critical points.*

Compact but mighty

Yeah, you might say that the 17-28mm has a fairly limited zoom range compared to something like the Sony 16-35mm GM - and you'd be right. But Tamron made this choice intentionally, in order to deliver super compact body - resulting in an impressively short length of just 99mm.

Sunrise at Velke Hincovo pleso in the High Tatras – cracked rocks in the foreground form leading lines toward the serene alpine lake. Shot with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD by Michal Stehlik.

Pair it with something like Tamron’s 28–300mm or 50–300mm, and suddenly you’ve got a setup that covers everything from 17mm to 300mm - all weighing just a hair over one kilogram combined. I mean... could you even imagine that just a couple of years ago? That’s pretty amazing if you ask me!

For those of you more technically inclined:

The 17-28mm features 13 elements in 11 groups, carefully designed to suppress chromatic aberrations as much as possible. I've taken a ton of backlit shots with this lens, and I can confidently say it's also highly resistant to flare. On top of that, the front element features a robust fluorine coating that effectively repels water, dust and all your pesky fingerprints, which is super handy, especially out in the field.

Cross-section of the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD lens – showing the internal layout of optical elements and groups. — 13 elements in 11 groups – this is the heart of the Tamron 17–28mm from the inside. Designed to suppress aberrations and maintain high contrast.

And speaking of specs - the minimum focus distance is just 19 cm at the wide end and 26 cm at 28 mm, which is great for all those creative close-ups or for your video work.

View of Croda dei Toni mountain in the Dolomites – purple flowers in the foreground leading the viewer’s eye toward the peak. Landscape photo by Michal Stehlik, shot with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

One of my favorite features is the 67mm filter thread, which is shared by most Tamron Di III lenses. That means all my ND, VND or CPL filters are totally interchangeable... It saves a ton of hassle and money!

Another bonus point: it's internally zooming, which means no annoying zoom creep, and it keeps a clean, balanced profile - even when mounted on a gimbal.

Moody long exposure landscape near Téryho chata in the High Tatras – a stream in the foreground draws the eye toward a dramatic mountain massif under stormy skies. Photo by Michal Stehlik, taken with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

What it lacks is built-in stabilization, but honestly – at this focal length and with IBIS in most Sony bodies, you'd pretty much have to have Parkinson’s to get shaky footage.

Image quality & sharpness:

Now, few words about image quality and overall sharpness... As the MTF charts indicate (and more importantly, the real-world pics I have shown here), the 17-28mm delivers outstanding resolution and contrast across the frame.

MTF chart of the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD at 17 mm – showing contrast transmission at different spatial frequencies and distances from the image center. — *MTF chart at 17 mm, f/2.8 – strong center sharpness and contrast, with excellent consistency toward the edges, especially at 10 lp/mm.*

MTF chart of the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD at 28 mm – showing levels of contrast and sharpness at various spatial frequencies. — MTF chart at 28 mm, f/2.8 – center resolution remains high, with a natural fall-off toward the edges, especially at 30 lp/mm, but overall still strong performance.

The center is exceptionally sharp, even when shooting wide open at f/2.8 – which is pretty impressive for an ultra-wide-angle zoom. Sure, there’s some natural softening toward the extreme corners, but the overall performance remains very strong.

Autumn landscape during sunset in Bohemian Switzerland – vivid yellow and red leaves bathed in golden light. Photo by Michal Stehlík, taken with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

This all means you can confidently capture images with beautifully rendered details and consistent clarity, whether you're shooting extensive landscapes or intricate architectural scenes.

What about distortion?

As with most ultra-wide zooms, there is some barrel distortion at the wide end – especially at 17mm – where straight lines near the edges may bow outward a bit.

Barrel distortion example at 17 mm with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 – brick wall showing visible outward bending of lines. — *Barrel distortion at 17 mm – straight lines near the edges clearly bow outward.*

But again, this is perfectly normal for a lens this wide, and it’s easily correctable in post (or often even auto-corrected in-camera if you're shooting JPEG or video).

Brick wall photographed at approximately 20 mm with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 – lines appear mostly straight, distortion is minimal. — *At around 20 mm, distortion is minimal – lines appear natural and straight.*

Once you zoom in to around 19–20mm, the distortion becomes largely corrected there, so if you’re shooting architecture or anything with a lot of straight lines and want a cleaner look straight out of camera, just zoom in slightly and you'll be golden.

Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD – quick specs:

Model Number: A046
Focal Length: 17–28mm
Aperture: Constant F/2.8
Optical Construction: 13 elements in 11 groups
Number of Aperture Blades: 9 (circular diaphragm)
Minimum Focusing Distance: 0.19 m (at 17mm) / 0.26 m (at 28mm)
Filter Diameter: 67 mm
Stabilization: No (relies on in-body stabilization)
Weight: 420 g
Length: 99 mm
Weather Sealing: Yes – Sealed against moisture and dust
Compatible with TAMRON Lens Utility: No

Astrophotography? Yes, please!

One of the less talked-about, but absolutely awesome things about the Tamron 17–28mm is how well it performs for astrophotography.

Night photo of Téryho chata in the High Tatras – cracked rocks in the foreground form strong leading lines toward the lit mountain hut and the starry sky. Photo by Michal Stehlik, taken with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

This is where that fast f/2.8 aperture really shines – literally. It lets in enough light to keep your ISO relatively low (well, “low” as in ISO 3200...), resulting in cleaner star shots with less noise.

Night landscape of a mountain lake in Slovakia – calm water in the foreground reflecting the stars, with a rugged mountain ridge in the background. Photo by Michal Stehlik, taken with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

Also, the 17–28mm handles coma surprisingly well – so you won’t get those weird “smears" near the corners, which can ruin an otherwise great astro shot. That’s a big deal for anyone into shooting the night sky, and I always have a blast capturing those peaceful nightscapes with this tiny but powerful lens.

Final thoughts

So there you have it - daytime, nighttime, and everything in between. This little beast never lets you down! Sure, it might not have every modern feature (I’d really appreciate a USB-C port for lens customization, and maybe a slightly wider focal range), but for the price, image quality, and versatility, it’s still an absolute winner in my book — and I’m definitely not letting it go.

Black and white photo of Dumbier mountain (Slovakia) captured during blue hour – dramatic contrast highlights the mountain ridge and distant misty layers. Photo by Michal Stehlik, taken with the Tamron 17–28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.

Oh, and for all you weight hunters: pair it with the new Tamron 28–300mm, and you basically cover 17 to 300 mm at just 1030 grams total. That’s pretty awesome, right?