Review Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN

According provided by lens Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN (for Nikon) many thanks to Mad Nikolai.

Review Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN

Review Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN

My review presents Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN for Nikon cameras, but you can find versions released for other systems - Canon, Pentax, Sony. The Tamron SP AF 20-40 is a wide angle 2x zoom lens suitable for full frame cameras. On Nikon DX cameras EGF lens will be 30-60mm.

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN has fast auto focus internal type. The case has a focus distance scale in meters and feet, MDF is 0.5 meters, and the maximum magnification ratio is 1:10. When zooming, the trunk of the lens lengthens by about half a centimeter (without rotating the front lens). When using special filters (gradient, polarizing) should not have any problems. Tamron 20-40 / 2.7-3.5 uses large light filters with a diameter of 77 mm, which professional photographers can only do, as a lot of professional photographic equipment has a filter diameter of exactly 77 mm.

There is no focus mode switch on the lens. To select the focus mode, use the focus mode lever near the camera mount (if any). In manual mode, the focus ring rotates 75 degrees. It’s a little inconvenient that the focus ring is narrow and very close to the zoom ring. Near the focus distance indicator, you can find 2 red marks at 20 and 40 mm for shooting in the infrared spectrum.

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

Rear view of the Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N. With a change in focal length, the rear lens moves.

It's important: auto focus with this lens is available only when using him on cameras with built-in motor focusing.

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras with a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will focus automatically:

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras without a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will not focus automatically:

Only auto focus and sound confirmation of focus will not work with these cameras, all other important functions, such as automatic exposure metering and automatic iris control, will work well.

You will find a lot of useful information on the types of cameras and lenses Nikon here.

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

The aperture device consists of only 6 blades, the aperture closes to F / 22 @ 20mm and F / 32 @ 40mm. The lens has aperture control ring (in the photo, the ring is easy to recognize by a number of numbers from F / 2.7 to F / 22). To control the value aperture of any modern Nikon camera automatically, you need to install the ring aperture to the F / 22 position, while it will automatically lock with a special button, which is located on the aperture ring to the left of the 'orange' value of F / 22. If this is not done, the camera will display the error 'fEE'. For more details on the aperture control ring, see section Non-G Nikon Lenses. For Nikon cameras, the lens is an analog FX, AF, D the lens.

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

View of Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N with hood attached

Tamron 20-40 / 2.7-3.5 is made soundly. It weighs a little more than a pound, does not have any backlashes or shortcomings. The focus and zoom rings are rubberized, rotate easily and smoothly. Actually, the series Tamron SP ('Super Performance '-' Super performance ') belongs to the professional line of lenses, therefore the mechanical component of the lens is made at a high level :)

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

View of the Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N with a hood fitted back and forth.

The lens can use a hood, I got a Tamron 20-40 / 2.7-3.5 with my own plastic 'COFH Japan'. The hood can be installed backwards, and access to the focusing ring is a little difficult. Due to the fact that the lens catches sun glare and is afraid of flare, it is better to always keep the hood on.

At F / 2.7, sharpness is weak across the entire field of the frame, and very strong vignetting is noticeable. By closing the aperture at least to F / 4.5, you can get a very sharp lens over the entire range of focal lengths. Of course, without barrel-shaped distortion, nowhere :(. The lens gives in JVI terrible yellow-green color image. Auto white balance copes with a flaw, but if set BB by pattern, for example BB 'Flash', the result becomes disastrous compared to lenses that give a neutral color to the image.

Here link to the archive with the originals - 326 MB, 29 photos, photo parameters in the archive and in the gallery are indicated here.

Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N

View of Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166D N on the ZK

Catalog of modern Tamron lenses can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


Results

The range of focal lengths of 20-40 mm is popular among photographers engaged in reportage shooting in conditions where sometimes there is nowhere to turn around. Many consider the range of 17-35 one of the best for this kind of shooting. Also, this range is well suited for landscape, architectural photography. Given a good aperture and quick focus, the Tamron 20-40 / 2.7-3.5 can serve as an alternative to more expensive native counterparts.

on a note. The lens has a new version - Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 266D.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Elena

 

 

Comments: 42, on the topic: Review of Tamron SP AF 20-40 1: 2.7-3.5 Aspherical 166DN

  • Denis

    An interesting lens, I have not come across before. Thank you, Arkady, for the review !!!

  • Sergey

    Interesting lens, thanks for the review at this time.

  • Michael

    Many thanks! Very interesting information.

  • Oleg

    zooms, they are only for the lazy and fat-assed, and also for a narrow group of professionals who are limited in movement. professionals don't come here, they stay ...

    • Alexander

      Stop and don't talk bullshit

      • Oleg

        Alexander, what category are you from?

    • Dmitriy

      And I'm still waiting for the announced pictures “the quality is worse than on my Panasonic GF3” will appear. Or can't I wait?
      At the same time, it’s interesting to see how you pick up a heap of glass with you instead of one zoom while hiking.

    • Vasily Artamonov

      Oleg, and you, for example, on an excursion will have time to change lenses and (or) crop with your feet?

      • Oleg

        in many cases, crop in the editor is enough, the resolution of modern matrices allows.

        • Vadim

          Stupidity, of course, write, or just to tease people?

        • Baltarus

          A large matrix is ​​also not needed. If you do not work in advertising

          • QWERTY

            correctly! let's shoot on whale glass and a SLR 10 years ago! and nothing to take the job from the pros!

            • Baltarus

              I did not say anything about the whale. It took you into your head. About megapixel I spoke out. I have friends who are still shooting at 4-6mp. Because him of this permission with his head for the intended purposes

              • Ivan

                I am happy to shoot at 4mp. I have never felt a lack of resolution, even when cropping. Never.
                But the fact that my old-old computer loads and processes photos 4 times faster than 14MP (the previous camera) - I feel every day.

  • Oleg

    To each his own, people, it is not clear what is good to measure. There is a demand for everything and everyone acts in their own situation based on their capabilities / considerations ...

  • Igor

    Offtopic, but still ...
    Arkady, the site has already confirmed its reputation, which he repeatedly wrote about. A bit confusing viewing on mobile platforms. Today it is very relevant. When you open photos, it is almost impossible to close them, and this solution does not look very right on a smartphone or tablet. Is there any way to fix this?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Everything works fine (tested on different tablets and phones running Android), if initially the site did not scale. At the request, he additionally added the closing of the picture, if you click on it again, while it works only for this record.

      • Denis

        On all my phones, photos are also terribly displayed - I clicked, somewhere on top it popped up, how to close xs. I don't remember about the android, on other phones for sure. And about scaling - how can you read without it? Of course the page will fit to the width of the screen, of course.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          Update, everything is already working, the pictures are closed by clicking on them.

  • Max Kalinovsky

    And do not tell me where the third frame was shot (I hope in Kiev) ??

    • Arkady Shapoval

      A shot with a banked ship was taken in Vyshgorod, near Kiev.

      • Max Kalinovsky

        Thank you)

  • Badman

    The review is about nothing. I have such an objective in myself. Perfectly shoots portraits. In direct hands, an excellent wedding lens. Moreover universal for groups? so for portraits. On the website of the Lens Club, everything is perfectly written about him.
    D90 + Tamron, image without processing http://s019.radikal.ru/i604/1403/03/004d5bacb505.jpg

    • Arkady Shapoval

      If not difficult, please, unsubscribe, what is missing in the review, or where there are errors.

  • Badman

    That's just what was needed in the examples to make them portraits and preferably in sunny weather on the street, the quality and drawing are excellent.
    Here is another portrait photo from Tamron http://s43.radikal.ru/i101/1403/ed/aee812a439dd.jpg
    But in the rooms it is dark.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Portraits at 20-35 and full frame is a kind of mockery :) of course, on your d90 everything is a little different, therefore the impressions are different. Also, take into account that the lens is provided for a certain time, but the weather cannot be ordered yet: (Also, as for the portrait photo - it is cropped to a square - what's the joke?

  • Badman

    There is no joke, I just wanted to show colors and clarity, if I’m interested in a full-size picture, I can throw it on the soap. Now I have Nikon D90 instead of D200 and the weather is sunny, I’ll go there. Sometimes you want to sell it, but you look at some photos and you don’t want to. And if you can answer the question. I am offered for 200 bucks Nikon 105 2.5 AiS, is it really as good as it is described on the Internet or is it a fable? Should I take it as a portrait portrait?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      The 105 2.5 is a really good lens. It would be nice if you shared your impressions, why do you want to sell?

  • Badman

    I practically do not take landscapes, so a wide angle is not often needed. And if I need it, I have a 35-70mm f / 3.3-4.5, which gives an excellent picture. Plus the selling price of Tamron is 220-250 bucks, for this money you can buy either Orestor 135 or the same 105 Nikon that suits me better. And the most inconvenient for me, I can’t achieve excellent sharpness of the general plan when shooting with a wide angle. I'm not a pro in the photo, so I want not to be smart with the settings, but just to shoot. But then again, as soon as it comes to close-up photography, I like everything both the pattern and the colors.
    Here is a close-up http://s019.radikal.ru/i617/1403/29/588e93bd7db8.jpg
    Here is today's photo on the street http://i056.radikal.ru/1403/cb/ba0b5b882515.jpg

    • Yuriy75

      It seems to me that your copy is more blurring the right side of the picture than the left. Maybe this is the reason for the desire to sell, and the difficulties with sharpness throughout the field of the frame?

  • Vadim

    What about the Sigma AF 17-35mm f / 2.8-4 DG active? It’s a pity that you’re dumb. I’ll look around at the same Sigmi ...

  • Alexander

    Hmm ... Yes, it seems, everything is on the case.
    I liked the review. Thanks to the author.

  • Vladimir

    Hello Arkady. Can you tell me what kind of hood to choose for this lens, if there is no “native” one?

  • Elena

    Hello Arkady, tell me please, is this lens suitable for weddings, matinees for example? I have Nikon D800. Thank you

    • Arkady Shapoval

      On d800, something else is better. Look at any lenses 24-70 / 2.8 or 24-105 / 4 or 24-120 / 4

      • Elena

        Nikon AF Nikkor 28-105mm 1: 3.5-4.5D then maybe this?

      • Elena

        there is still an option to purchase Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm 1: 3.5-5.6D MKII ... it will suit my tasks, please tell me)

        • Pokemon

          Elena, at least Nikon 28-105 / 3.5-4.5D.
          The D800 is quite demanding on the quality of the optics, and usually the owners of the D800-810-850 know this. 28-105 / 3.5-4.5D is a good lens of film times. I have one and I am pleased with it. I got it almost new. He is criminally cheap. This is a strong and reliable lens that does not suffer from sores that are popular with high-speed Nikkor or Canon.

          • Pokemon

            By sores, I mean fungus / mold / age clouding, as well as design features, disadvantages of some popular aperture lenses that will inevitably come out with intensive use.

          • Elena

            thank you)

      • Elena

        Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm 1: 3.5-5.6D MKIIя. I mean, is it worth buying this lens .. I do not offer it expensively, but I have not tried it. It will probably be dark (

        • Valery A.

          Slightly darker than 28-105, and not so sharp (I won’t talk about aberrations, etc. I didn’t look closely). Look at tamron 28-75 / 2,8 old (A09), it is better than these two and not very expensive.

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