Less than two weeks ago at the PDN PhotoPlus Expo, I tried and failed to tie anyone down on a price for the 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD at the Tamron booth; the best I could do was get unofficial price-range guesses, generally in the $1200-1500 range. Today, however, pricing for the new lens has been made official: it is currently available for pre-order at B&H for $1499.
While this may not sound like a spectacular deal at first glance, it helps to put it in context. Canon’s own 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, weighs in at $2499… a full thousand dollars more, though it is currently available for $2099 with Canon’s $400 rebate, before Dec. 1, 2012. Similarly, Nikon’s 70-200 f/2.8 ED VR II lens costs just under $2400.
While Sigma has offered an image stabilized 70-200 f/2.8 for a few years, their optical performance has been less than overwhelming, though the price is a reasonable $1399 (again, $150 less with holiday rebates, before mid January). Sigma seems to do a great job with their prime lenses and many of their wide zooms, but getting sharp borders at 200mm f/2.8 seems to be an insurmountable barrier.
So, the real competition for Canon shooters will be between the Tamron and the non-IS 70-200 f/2.8L (an excellent lens in its own right) for about $1449 (though currently $150 less). Though I have had a chance to do some shooting with the Tamron lens, I haven’t been able to do it under lab conditions… so I can’t offer an optical comparison with the Canon. However, from what I’ve seen, they’re very similar… which will make it a battle between Tamron’s VC system and Canon’s cool looking white body. That’s a tough choice.
