The Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 is a force to be reckoned with in its market segment. At optimal aperture settings, it is capable of delivering very sharp results across the zoom range. Given the extreme nature of the beast, some weaknesses at f/2.8 are to be expected. Namely, the image corners could be sharper at the extreme ends here. Lateral CAs are fairly well-controlled but it is advisable to apply some digital trickery to get reduce the issue nonetheless. Image distortions are typical with heavy barrel distortion at the 15mm setting. Vignetting is clearly visible at a fully open aperture but the amount is actually lower than in competing lenses in this respect.

Tamron tweaked the build quality in its G2 lenses. Gone is the old cheap plastic feel and there's a new sense of sturdiness thanks to higher quality materials now. The controls operate smoothly and nothing wobbles. While Tamron doesn't mention sealing against dust, it is at least moisture-resistant. Tamron's USD AF is quite fast albeit the accuracy wasn't always spot on - maybe an issue with our specific sample. This is something that could be tuned via Tamron's optional "TAP-in" console though. A welcome improvement is the slightly higher (1/2 f-stop) efficiency of the optical image stabilizer.

Both the image and build quality are really fine but make sure that you can live with the size/weight. On the upside, it may help to strengthen your biceps and other than the reasonable pricing, this comes for free.