Thom Hogan DX articles and poll

...and it is fantastic on my D5100. I plucked it off eBay in lightly used condition for a mere $385 and it's only issues are a slightly noisy AF motor and a bit more dust between the elements than I care to see in such a new lens.

The Nikon 17-55 goes for $1k+ in the same condition as my Tamron, and it lacks the all important OS/VC feature the Tamron has. Unless you're a pro, or an enthusiast that is shooting daily in tough conditions there is very little reason to shell out several hundred more for the Nikon 17-55. The Tamron is quite sharp across the frame, renders colors nicely, and the VC holds up well versus Nikon's VR.

The 5mm extra reach on the Nikon is irrelevant - that's what, one, maybe two steps closer to your subject? I might have considered buying the Nikon if it were in the $800-900 range, a bit smaller, and had VR.