Tamron has updated its popular 70-200mm zoom lens with the addition of VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilisation and an USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) autofocusing mechanism.

After reading reviews I took the plunge. Haven't regretted it for one minute

Great Picture Quality; Simple Controls

At £1 under a grand, the Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD is still considerably cheaper than equivalent models from Canon, Nikon and Sony, which cost between £1600 and £2200.

Images are very sharp! I use this lens on my Nikon D7100 and the two work perfectly together as a couple. The autofocus of this lens is of decent speed and the zooming is very smooth.

For the money, the Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 is a really solid telezoom. It's a tough lens that can be used in any sort of weather, and delivers images with superb sharpness through most of its range.

Excellent resolution through most of range; Optical stabilization system; Bright f/2.8 aperture; Sturdy build quality; Teleconverter compatibility; Integrated tripod collar; Available for Canon and Nikon cameras; Affordable

Weak flare resistance; Dimmed corners; Sharpness drops off at 200mm; Toggle switches prone to inadvertent changes

Haven't had much chance to use the lens but shipping was fast and hastle free

The Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 VC is the company's first 70-200mm f2.8 equipped with optical stabilization. Announced for the Canon-mount in November 2012 and for the Nikon-mount in March 2013, it covers a 2.9x zoom-range.

Good overall performance; with caveats; Image stabilization; Build quality; Weather sealing; Quiet; fast; and reliable AF operation

Pretty high price; Unreliable image stabilization; Weak performance at 200mm f2.8

The 70-200mm focal length has been the standard tele-zoom choice for many years, offering near normal to a good tele range that suits many practical purposes. Yet, quite a few stock-in-trade 70-200mm lenses had been slow or lost significant aperture as soon as you left the shortest zoom setting,...

This fast F2.8 telephoto zoom lens for full-frame SLRs delivers very good image quality and remarkably consistent resolution. The VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabiliser effectively compensates for camera shake in the Canon and Nikon versions of the lens.

Handling and features This brand new lens from Tamron covers the ever-popular 70-200mm range with a fast constant aperture of f/2.8. It is one of Tamron's 'SP' lenses, which denotes that it should be able to produce professional quality results and it sports moisture sealed construction.