Is the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD IF Lens sharp? This page visually answers that question. Shown above are 100% crops from a lab-captured 17mm f/2.8 test image. Observe the contrast and resolution of these results.
Is the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD IF Lens set to 17mm f/2.8 sharper than the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens set to 17mm f/4.0? The image quality comparison above also answers that question. Switch between the results to see the sharpness differences between these lenses.