Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Review

In October 2019, Tamron released three full-frame Sony E-mount prime lenses: the 20mm, 24mm, and 35mm f/2.8. All three share similar dimensions and the same filter size. After reviewing the Tamron FE 20mm f/2.8, we are now taking a closer look at the 24mm, mounted, like the Sony 20mm, on the A7RIV and A7III, to see how it performs on two different sensor resolutions.

Again, this is not a technical review packed with test charts and hard-to-digest numbers, which would require specific equipment, even if a few technical tests are sometimes useful to illustrate certain optical flaws. Instead, I want to show you how the lens behaves in real-world use and what you can expect from it.

The images shown on this page are RAW files processed with DxO Photolab 5 software, using standard color rendering with optical defect corrections enabled, except for the images used specifically to show those defects, as well as illustrative images that may have received custom processing.

The characteristics of this 24mm are quite similar to the brand’s 20mm, which you can find on our blog as well as on Tamron’s official website.

Originally available at around €350, the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 can now often be found for about €200. That is a very aggressive price, even for a 24mm f/2.8 lens. Sony’s full-frame 24mm market is fairly crowded, with a Sony GM f/1.4, a Sigma f/2 or f/3.5, an f/1.8, and especially a Samyang f/2.8. This lower price is probably linked to the Samyang, which sits around €250, and which Tamron likely wanted to compete with, just as it lowered the price of its 35mm to compete with Samyang’s version.

If you are looking for all the lenses designed for Sony full-frame cameras (marked “FE”), feel free to discover our full guide here!

Compared with the Samyang, and with the old Nikon AF-D I used, its weight and size are not especially modest. Still, you have to keep in mind that the Tamron, unlike the Nikon, has an autofocus motor and, unlike the other two, a 1:2 magnification ratio. Its optical formula is also more complex, which suggests better results, especially since both the Samyang and the old Nikon have quite a few flaws, particularly in the corners.

A 24mm focal length on a full-frame camera is a classic wide-angle option, appreciated by many landscape, reportage, and even street photographers. It is the starting point for most standard zooms, such as 24-70mm and 24-105mm lenses, and an essential focal length in wide-angle zooms, from 12-24mm and 14-24mm to 16-35mm and 17-28mm. By the way, we have just published the review of the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8, an interesting wide-angle zoom to consider if you are looking for a versatile, high-quality lens.

Its f/2.8 maximum aperture is not especially bright, but that is one of the trade-offs for keeping the price down. So it will not be the first lens I would choose for low-light situations or for reducing depth of field. However, for photographers who like to maximize depth of field around f/5.6, it can be a very good choice. Some zooms covering the same focal length offer the same aperture, but they are not in the same price range and are also much heavier and bulkier. Personally, I have often carried a small 24mm f/2.8 with me on my trips. And with recent mirrorless cameras, in-body stabilization can often offset the slower aperture for still handheld subjects, allowing exposure times around 1/5 sec.

This 24mm has exactly the same design and handling as the Tamron 20mm. It has a plastic body but good build quality, without the more advanced controls found on higher-end lenses: no AF/MF switch, no aperture ring, and no customizable AF button. Tamron’s LD lenses and BBAR coating effectively reduce chromatic aberration and flare. The 7-blade circular diaphragm produces smooth, rounded background blur, although the best lenses often use 9 blades or more. For an f/2.8 prime lens, though, this will usually be good enough, especially for a landscape lens that will often be used at smaller apertures, with plenty of depth of field and therefore limited bokeh.

Its weight and dimensions are similar to the 20mm reviewed previously on our blog, so it is also light and compact, even if the Samyang is smaller still. Compared with my old Nikon, it is less compact but paradoxically lighter, since the Nikon had a more metallic construction. It should also balance well on Sony full-frame bodies, including the A7C, and on APS-C cameras, where it gives a 35mm-equivalent field of view. Its moisture-resistant construction means you can take it out in a wide range of conditions, as Tamron has often allowed with its recent lenses.

Have a look at the Sony 20mm review for a comparison photo with this lens.

The focus ring is wide and pleasant to use, although it is not as smooth as the one on the Sony 20mm. The lens is compatible with Sony’s DMF function, which lets you take over manual focus on the fly after using AF, without going through a menu. However, if you want to use the lens only in manual focus, you will need to go through the menu, since there is no AF/MF switch, or assign this function to a shortcut on the camera body.

There is no aperture ring either, so the aperture has to be changed from the camera, which can be a limitation for video use.

In AF-S mode, the lens is not very fast. It also makes a little noise. It is clearly not on the level of recent Sony G and GM lenses, probably because of the aging OSD technology, which is not especially well suited to mirrorless cameras. Unfortunately, Tamron chose this OSD system for its three Sony prime lenses, so none of them is particularly fast. The good news is that with a 20mm or 24mm full-frame lens, you will rarely be photographing action. These are more often lenses for still subjects, where very fast AF is not essential.

In AF-C mode, however, the lens is compatible with Eye-AF and Fast-AF functions. Even so, it still lacks responsiveness, and tracking is not the fastest. In reportage situations, this can become a drawback, and it may be better to look at Sony, Sigma, or Samyang instead, although this issue is more limiting on the 35mm than on this 24mm.

One thing to note: the lens is not compatible with silent aperture mode. Sony bodies offer an option that lets the aperture open or close in real time depending on the selected setting. For example, if you set the camera to f/8, the aperture closes to f/8 and stays there. Since smaller apertures let in less light and reduce AF performance, in standard mode, and in AF priority on some bodies such as the A7RIV, the aperture opens wider if needed to help focus. For example, if f/8 does not provide enough light for AF, the lens may open to f/4 while focusing, then close again to f/8 when the shutter is released, which creates noise. As a result, this Tamron 24mm cannot really be used in silent mode.

In short, while AF is not a critical point for most 24mm uses, this Tamron will not be the best option if you need a fast, responsive 24mm for reportage or video. For classic landscape, architecture, or manual-focus use, its other strengths largely compensate for this weakness.

Image quality is very good, with impressive consistency across the frame. Details are sharp across the image from full aperture, even at 100% on a 61MP sensor, although the edges suffer a little more at f/2.8, unlike the center. The Samyang and the old Nikon, which already struggled on a 24MP sensor, seem much less comfortable in comparison.

Focus breathing, meaning the framing gets tighter as you move closer to the minimum focusing distance, is fairly noticeable here, which can be undesirable, especially for video. However, it only becomes really visible below a focusing distance of 40cm; beyond 40cm, it is insignificant.

By focusing on a close subject and taking advantage of the short minimum focusing distance, you can get soft, rounded bokeh at wide apertures, although you do need to watch out for the camera’s shadow.

Sharpness at 100% on the A7RIV:

Sharpness at 100% on the A7III:

The optimal range for this lens is between f/4 and f/8, or even from f/2.8 to f/11 on a 24MP camera like the A7III. Beyond that, diffraction starts to soften fine detail too much. At full aperture, the image remains excellent, but some defects, such as vignetting, are at their strongest.

Distortion is significant and will need to be corrected, either in-camera for JPEG files or in processing software.

Vignetting is quite visible, which is a little unfortunate when you compare the diameter of the lens with the diaphragm, but this is not unusual on modern mirrorless lenses. It is significant at full aperture and decreases as you stop down, without ever disappearing completely.

Chromatic aberrations can be visible, but they disappear quickly with in-camera software correction or in processing software, such as Lightroom or DxO Photolab (the one I use).

Tamron’s BBAR coating once again does an excellent job, as it did on the brand’s 20mm, to the point that I see no reason to include flare-related images.

Coma and astigmatism are well controlled, which makes this lens suitable for astrophotography despite its limited f/2.8 aperture. The improvement from f/2.8 to f/4 is negligible.

When you stop down, light sources create a 14-point star effect, although it is not especially well defined.

At a 1:2 ratio, a possibility offered by these Tamron E-mount lenses, image quality is much weaker, which is not surprising for a lens that was not designed as a true macro lens. It is better to stop down to f/5.6 to get detail in the center, and to f/11 for the edges, which are very soft. Overall, f/8 is probably the safest aperture for using this feature with the Tamron 24mm, regardless of the camera.

Here are the results in the center of the image at 1:2.

And at the edge, still at 1:2.

In the 24mm world, there are many alternatives: from f/2.8 to f/1.4, from €200 to €1,500, and from 100g to 450g… without even considering zooms! I will simply mention the most interesting prime lenses and zooms, in my opinion.

• The 24mm f/2.8 from Samyang is the most direct competitor, with better compactness, although it is slightly more expensive. However, its optical performance is weaker, and it does not offer a 1:2 macro ratio.
• The 24mm f/1.8 from Samyang performs better, but it is also more expensive (about €500) than the f/2.8 version. It is not much heavier or bulkier than the Tamron, has a larger maximum aperture, and includes a dedicated button for astrophotography. It is a great choice if you can afford the price difference.
• The 24mm f/2 from Sigma, announced in 2021, sits around €600. It offers very good image quality and, above all, better build quality than the Tamron and Samyang, with a customizable aperture ring and AF button. However, its metal construction means extra weight.
• The 24mm f/1.4 GM from Sony is the high-end option and, for some photographers, one of the best 24mm lenses ever made. Its price is high-end too, at around €1,350, justified by its build quality, optical performance, AF, and features, including a clickable aperture ring, AF/MF switch, and customizable AF button.
• The Sigma 14-24mm, 24-70mm f/2.8 Art Sigma, and 17-28mm f/2.8 Tamron zooms are also worth considering. The Sigma zooms are well designed and more refined, with a customizable AF button and AF/MF switch, but they are heavy. The Tamron is more plastic and simpler, but also lighter.
• The 24mm f/2.8 G from Sony, released at the same time as the 40mm and 50mm f/2.5 G lenses, was designed to offer a light, compact 24mm with higher-end construction, a clickable aperture ring, and a customizable button. It has excellent AF and good image quality for around €620, although the Tamron seems to have an edge in image quality.
• For photographers using Sony APS-C cameras, which share the same E-mount as full-frame bodies and can therefore be paired with this 24mm, it is also a good option, since the only prime lens with the same focal length is the much more expensive 24mm f/1.8 Zeiss. However, there are other lenses with an f/2.8 aperture that cover the 24mm focal length on APS-C cameras, especially the Sony G 16-55mm and 17-70mm f/2.8 from Tamron, but above all the Sigma f/2.8 18-50mm which costs less than the other zooms and only a little more than the Tamron 24mm, while offering a much more versatile focal range.

For video, the Sony 24mm f/1.4 is probably the most interesting of all these options, thanks to its maximum aperture, very good AF, and clickable aperture ring. The f/2.8 G version can also be interesting for this use if the f/2.8 aperture is enough for you.

In conclusion, Tamron offers a very appealing option for Sony users. Anyone who used to carry a full-frame 24mm f/2.8 on a Nikon or Canon DSLR will know what I mean: a fairly light, versatile, compact 24mm with good image quality can be a great companion for photographing travel memories.

At this price, I do not really see a strong reason to choose the Samyang, which is not as good in my opinion. If you want a true pancake lens, you may as well switch to a smaller format or an expert compact. But if you want something that stands apart from f/2.8 zooms, or a 24mm with good AF for photojournalism, you may be better off paying a little more and looking at the Samyang f/1.8 or Sigma f/2.

I hope you found this review useful and that it helped you decide whether this lens is right for you. By the way, if you enjoyed the review and would like to support our blog and our work, using the links in this article to buy the lens is a simple way to help us, at no extra cost to you, and to encourage us to write more articles!

If you want to keep reading, I invite you to have a look at the full Sony 20mm f/1.8 G review, a very high-quality wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras.

See you soon,

Written by Sylvain PONS

I've been passionate about photography since 2010, learning as I went along. Today, I dedicate myself to guiding others in their choice of camera gear and sharing a variety of tips to improve their photography skills.

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