Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD vs Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD and Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR are both excellent all-around zoom lenses with a fixed aperture of f/2.8. Let’s see which one is better!

The Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 is almost double the price of the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8! They are both aimed at all-around photographers who want a fast f/2.8 aperture, but there’s an 8 year release gap between them, so let’s see if the newer Tamron is that much better.

In this comparison, I will go over all of their advantages and how they compare in different photography styles.

If you’re in a hurry, the advantages below are all you need to make the final decision.

Now, let’s see which features and advantages are actually important for your specific needs and which ones only sound good on paper.

Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 vs Fujifilm 16-55mm: Detailed Comparison

🔭 1. Focal Length

• Tamron 17-70mm: From 17mm to 70mm
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: From 16mm to 55mm
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

The Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR has 1mm wider zoom, and while this gives it a slight advantage in landscape and interior photography, the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 features a bigger overall zoom range.

Going from 17 to 70mm in a single twist makes it much more ideal for more types of photography. From traveling, weddings, portraits and even close sports, it’s much more capable than the 16-55m focal length of the Fuji.

Don’t get me wrong, both can be used as all-around lenses, and I’ve often traveled with ~18-50mm (or 24-70mm on full-frame) without any issues at all.

If you are looking for that 1 lens to give you as much reach as possible and rarely want to carry around anything else, the Tamron is the better option.

🎥 2. Maximum Aperture

• Tamron 17-70mm: Constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: Constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths
• Winner: Tie

Both Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD and the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR have a constant f/2.8 aperture, which is great news for shooting in low light or less than ideal lighting conditions.

You can always select a smaller aperture, but f/2.8 is also great for blurring the background. This is useful for weddings, portraits, animals and macro photography.

📏 3. Dimensions & Weight

• Tamron 17-70mm: 525g
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: 655g
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is 20% lighter (130g) than the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR.

It may not sound like a lot, but you’ll definitely notice it when traveling with an extra lens. Even though both Fuji and Tamron were designed for APS-C systems, the 8 years newer Tamron manages to shed a lot more weight, despite its longer zoom.

• Tamron 17-70mm: 74.6×119.3mm
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: 83.3 x 106.0mm
• Winner: Fujifilm 🏆

The Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 is 10% shorter in length, but they’re both pretty much the same in size. The Fuji is shorter but wider, and so the overall volume is nearly identical.

If you want an f/2.8 zoom that weighs almost half as much, check out my comparison versus the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN.

🎥 4. Minimum Aperture

• Tamron 17-70mm: f/16
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: f/16
• Winner: Tie

Both lenses can stop down to aperture f/16, which is acceptable but nothing special.

Personally, I almost never go smaller than f/16, especially because of diffraction which can reduce image quality. You can see more about this in my aperture tutorial.

🔬 5. Minimum Focusing Distance

• Tamron 17-70mm: 19cm at 18mm
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: 30cm at 16mm
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 can focus on a subject that’s merely 19cm away from the camera!

Compare that to the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 that won’t focus on anything further than 30cm. It’s not bad, but for close-up photography, macro, flowers and food, it might be a bit too short sometimes.

Remember, these distances are measured from your camera’s sensor and not from the front of the lens.

⛅ 6. Weather-Sealing

• Tamron 17-70mm: ✔️
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: ✔️
• Winner: Tie

For casual use, all lenses can handle a normal amount of rain, snow and dust. They won’t dissolve when a little bit of water hits them.

Luckily, both Tamron and Fuji lenses are completely weather-sealed and ready to shoot in challenging weather situations. If you often travel and feel stressed about your gear, you’ll want a lens that is well protected.

🎦 7. Image Stabilization

• Tamron 17-70mm: ✔️
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: ❌
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

Image stabilization helps make your images appear less blurry when shooting with slow shutter speeds.

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 has stabilization built-in (VC in its name stands for Vibration Reduction). This is excellent news if you’re shooting with a Fuji camera that doesn’t have any in-body stabilization.

VC/IS won’t help freeze moving subjects, it will only help correct your unwanted movement when taking a picture.

💿 8. Aperture Blades

• Tamron 17-70mm: 9 rounded diaphragm blades
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: 9 rounded diaphragm blades
• Winner: Fujifilm 🏆

Both lenses feature a 9 diaphragm aperture design, with rounded blades.

Bokeh looks smooth and overall not distracting, making them good for portrait and product photography.

📽 9. Filter Size

• Tamron 17-70mm: 67m filter size
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: 77mm filter size
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD accepts 67mm filters. They’re right in the middle as far as pricing and availability goes.

For the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, you’ll need to buy 77mm filters. These are a lot more expensive, but still common in most photography stores.

💲 10. Price

• Tamron 17-70mm: ~$699
• Fujifilm 16-55mm: ~$1100
• Winner: Tamron 🏆

The Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 costs around $400 more than the Tamron 17-70mm.

What does the higher price tag give you? 1mm wider reach and a classic Fujifilm look with an aperture ring, which the Tamron doesn’t have.

If Fujifilm is planning on announcing new lenses, I can guarantee you that an updated 16-55mm f/2.8 will be one of them. There’s too much competition out there, with better features and lower prices.

Tamron 17-70mm vs Fujifilm 16-55mm: Photography Type

From 1 being the worst, 5 being the best.

It’s best to choose a lens that suits your favorite photography types, or offers you something that your current gear is not good enough for.

📷 Photography Type	Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8	Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8
👤 Portrait	4.5	4
✈️ Travel	5	5
🐾 Wildlife	3.5	3
🏟️ Sport	4	3.5
💍 Wedding	4	4
🚶 Street	4	4
🏞️ Landscape	4	4.5
🐛 Macro	3	2
🔄 All-Around	5	5
🎥 Video	4	4

Tamron 17-70mm vs Fujifilm 16-55mm: Comparison Table

Better specifications are highlighted in green.

🎥 Lens Specification	Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8	Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8
Focal Length	17-70mm	16-55mm
35mm Equivalent	25.5-105mm	24-83mm
Mount	Fujifilm X (APS-C)	Fujifilm X (APS-C)
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	f/2.8
Minimum Aperture	f/16	f/16
Filter Size	67 mm	77 mm
Maximum Magnification	0.21x	0.16x
Minimum Focus Distance	19 cm	30 cm
Aperture Ring	No	Yes
Focus Type	Autofocus	Autofocus
Motor Type	Stepper Motor	Linear Motor
Lens Construction	16 elements in 12 groups	17 elements in 12 groups
Aperture Blades	9 (rounded)	9 (rounded)
Image Stabilization	✔️	❌
Weather Sealing	✔️	✔️
Dimensions (mm)	74.6 x 119.3mm	83.3 x 106.0mm
Weight (g)	525g	655g
Hood Included	No	Yes
Released	2023	2015
Price	Amazon	Amazon

So, which lens is the better one?

Choose the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 if:

• You want more telephoto zoom for travel/portraits/sports
• You often do macro and close-up photography
• Your camera doesn’t have built-in stabilization
• You want a 130g lighter lens
• You want to pay around $400 lens, and save on filter prices

Choose the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 if:

• You want a 1mm wider focal length
• You want an aperture ring with the usual Fuji rotation

The clear winner is Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD.

It packs in way more features for way less money. Win-win!