The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD and the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 145mm. The Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD with a length of 93mm is 52mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD also has a larger diameter of 98mm compared to Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD's 84mm diameter.
Below you can find the scaled side by side image of Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD and Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD to get a better idea of how their size compare in real life.
Comparison image of Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD and Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD Size and Weight Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD weighs 460g, which means it is 640g (58%) lighter than the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD which has a weight of 1100g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD and Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD has a focal range of 17-35mm and 2.1X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 27.2 - 56mm.
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD has a focal range of 15-30mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 48mm.