If you’ve ever used a wide angle lens before, you know that image stabilization, while welcome, is not really a huge issue. However for those who have tried out super zoom lenses, you’ll notice that even the tiniest movement in your hand will result in massive shaking and blurring in photos, which is where image stabilization comes in. According Tamron:
“Tamron’s original VC image stabilization mechanism utilized a moving-magnet system whereby a heavy magnet was positioned near the moving VC lens element. In the new VC unit the positions of the magnet and the coil are reversed, because of this the VC optical lens element is attached to the coil. The new VC mechanism employs a moving coil mechanism with a lightweight coil, and the lighter coil reduces the load on the drive system. Thus, the lighter, more compact new VC unit contributes to the lens’s overall light weight and compact size.”
If image stabilization is not a big deal to you, its 24-70mm range is a pretty popular choice amongst photographers, not to mention its relatively wide aperture at f2.8 should make it a decent lens to use in low-light conditions. Unfortunately Tamron did not mention how much the 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD lens would cost.