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Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD for Sony Full Frame/APS-C E-Mount, Black
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Tamron |
Focal Length Description | 70-180mm |
Lens Type | Telephoto |
Compatible Mountings | Sony E |
Camera Lens Description | 180 month |
About this item
- Lightest and most compact in its class of fast tele zooms for Sony full-frame mirrorless
- VXD linear motor focus mechanism delivers high-speed and high precision autofocus performance
- Superior optical design for uncompromised image quality. Camera-based lens unit firmware updates
- Moisture-Resistant Construction, Fluorine Coating, and Zoom Lock switch
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This Item Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD for Sony Full Frame/APS-C E-Mount, Black | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $1,179.00$1,179.00 | -20% $1,414.95$1,414.95 New Price: $1,759.00 | -7% $1,759.00$1,759.00 List: $1,899.00 | $1,499.00$1,499.00 | $2,798.00$2,798.00 | $699.00$699.00 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it as soon as Saturday, Mar 23 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Auto focus | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.2 | — | 4.5 | 4.2 |
Picture quality | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | — | 4.5 | 5.0 |
Image stabilization | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | — | 4.4 | 2.6 |
Sold By | Digital Goja | 6ave | Digital Goja | Digital Goja | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
lens type | Telephoto | Standard | Standard | Telephoto | Telephoto | Standard |
compatible mountings | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E |
lens design | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom |
focus type | automatic | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto Focus |
minimum focal length | — | 35 millimeters | 35 millimeters | — | 70 millimeters | 20 millimeters |
max focal length | — | 150 millimeters | 150 millimeters | 200 millimeters | — | 40 millimeters |
fixed focal length | 180 millimeters | 150 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 200 millimeters | 200 millimeters | 40 millimeters |
model name | Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD | — | FBATM35150S | SG70200F28SE | SEL70200GM2 | Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD |
What's in the box
Product Description
The 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056) large aperture telephoto zoom lens is designed for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras and is just as comfortable on APS-C mirrorless as well. The greatest feature is its superb performance even while attaining a high-speed F/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range and offering the world's lightest and most compact package at just 5.9" length (at the 70mm setting) and a weight of 28.6 oz. Thanks to the generous use of special lens elements, the 70-180mm F/2.8 achieves excellent optical performance from center to edge. With the short MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 33.5", the 70-180mm F/2.8 expands the possibilities for photographic expression. For the AF drive, Tamron has newly developed the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), a linear motor focus mechanism that delivers high-speed and high precision autofocus performance for both stills and video. Add it all together and you can go light while going long—and get the shot!
From the manufacturer
Fast-handling telephoto zoom lens with a fast F/2.8 aperture
For full-frame mirrorless Sony cameras; light weight and responsiveness make telephoto shooting better than ever.
The Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056) is a large-aperture telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The greatest feature is its outstanding performance even while attaining a fast F/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range and offering the world’s lightest and most compact package with a filter diameter of 67mm, maximum diameter of 81mm, 149mm (5.9 in) length (at the 70mm setting) and a weight of 810g (28.6 oz). Thanks to the generous use of special lens elements, the 70-180mm F/2.8 achieves excellent image quality, and with the short MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.85m (33.5 in), it also broadens the possibilities for photographic expression. For enhanced AF drive efficiency, Tamron has newly developed the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), a linear motor focus mechanism that delivers excellent quietness and agile performance, thereby producing the highest level of autofocusing speed and precision in Tamron’s history. Additionally, a floating system is used to achieve excellent optical performance at all shooting distances. By simultaneously operating two VXD units via electronic control, the system produces clear and sharp images of all objects near and far. Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating are employed to facilitate outdoor shooting, and the lens is fully compatible with camera-specific features like Fast Hybrid AF. This remarkable 70-180mm F/2.8 is the third member of Tamron’s exciting trio of fast F/2.8 zoom lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
The highest levels of autofocus speed and precision in Tamron’s 70 year history
Tamron developed its first-ever linear motor AF drive focus mechanism, VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), especially for the 70-180mm F/2.8. While operating faster than ever before, the drive also maintains positional accuracy down to 0.005mm (0.0002 in), less than one-tenth the width of a human hair! This provides unprecedented fast and precise AF performance. A floating system that uses two high-speed, high-precision VXD units with advanced electronic control is also used. This innovative design produces clear and beautiful images of all objects from near to far and at the same time helps reduce size and weight. Focus tracking has been vastly improved to facilitate sports and racing photography, two common subjects for telephoto zooms. This ensures that those dramatic, action-packed moments are never missed, whether shooting still photos or video. Additionally, this zoom offers superior quietness, making it ideal for shooting in low-noise environments as the linear motor is structured to reduce the vibrations produced during drive operation (as compared to a conventional drive system).
Outstanding image quality to capture the ambience of the moment
In developing the 70-180mm F/2.8, Tamron sought to strike a balance between compact size and light weight without sacrificing high image quality. The optical construction features 19 elements in 14 groups. The generous arrangement of special lens elements including XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), LD (Low Dispersion), GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) and hybrid aspherical lens elements achieves exceptionally high resolving power and controls aberrations from image center to the edges. The BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating is used to suppress ghosting and flare and to render subjects in exacting, full-contrast detail even under backlit conditions. In short, the lens delivers outstanding sharpness and enables clear expression, capturing the mood of any scene without compromise across the entire zoom range.
Compact and light-weight body facilitates active telephoto shooting
Tamron designed this compact and light-weight lens to be the ideal combination with a full-frame mirrorless camera. To achieve this diminutive size while maintaining the high performance of the F/2.8 aperture, Tamron selected the focal length of 180mm at the telephoto end and employed an innovative zoom mechanism. Also, the image stabilization features of the host camera body are utilized for shake-free shooting. The result is a compact telephoto zoom lens that is comfortable and easy to shoot handheld. Additionally, the filter diameter is the same 67mm as Tamron’s the other lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras in the series. This feature makes filter-related tasks simple and removes the hassle of looking for front caps with differing diameters when changing lenses. The impressive portability of this lens expands its usefulness to many different fields of photography.
MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of just 0.85m (33.5 in)
The MOD of the 70-180mm F/2.8 is just 0.85m (33.5 in) across the entire zoom range, a surprising accomplishment for a large-aperture telephoto zoom lens. Thanks to this short distance, at the 180mm telephoto end in particular, the Maximum Magnification Ratio is 1:4.6, allowing you to create powerful images. Moreover, a floating component equipped with two VXD linear motor focus mechanisms maintains high image quality while effectively controlling aberrations so that the 70-180mm F/2.8 ensures great image quality even at close-up. Users can experience unique photographic expressions and high image quality possible only with this lens.
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BEST Zoom Lense? UNBOXING Tamron 70-180 2.8 Di III
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tamron 70 180 lens worth it?
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Should I Get It Reviews
Product information
Product Dimensions | 5.9 x 3.18 x 3.18 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1.79 pounds |
ASIN | B086Q57BVY |
Item model number | AFA056S700 |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #262 in SLR Camera Lenses |
Date First Available | April 2, 2020 |
Manufacturer | Tamron |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sharpness, quality and value of the lens. For example, they mention that it's sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame, making for more pleasing, natural looking photos. Some appreciate the focus and weight. That said, some complain about the image stabilization and disagree on autofocus.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the lens. They mention that it is a great lens at an affordable price, and it is rock solid. Some say that the lens does not feel cheap, and is able to produce fantastic images. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"Pros- Great Build Quality- Relative light weight, well-balanced on the camera- Compact for it's focal length and brightness-..." Read more
"...hefty & high end as the $$$$ Nikon or Sony version, but it certainly doesn't feel cheap. It's also much lighter weight, which is wonderful...." Read more
"...It feels very solid to me. I'm not hard on my camera gear, so I don't see that as a problem...." Read more
"One of my favorite lens. The optics are great and the missing 20mm you’d get from a standard 70-200 aren’t a huge deal...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the image quality of the lens. They mention that the pictures came out really nice, with natural looking photos. The lens is great for portraits and hiking, with amazing optics and deep rich colors.
"...the brighter the background is which makes for more pleasing, natural looking photos...." Read more
"...Since this is a 2.8 lens, I think it's quite good as a portrait lens when you zoom out past 100 mm." Read more
"...and drove down the pacific coast using this lens and the photos turned out fantastic. Sharp and clear RAW images were taken with my Sony a7R4...." Read more
"...the A7 iii allows you to hold this lens even steadier and the pictures are amazing. Not one regret with this lens...." Read more
Customers are impressed with the weight and size of the lens. They say it's light and easy to carry around. They also mention that it takes up less space in their bag and feels better in the hand than their Sony ever. Customers also say it has a reasonable small size.
"Pros- Great Build Quality- Relative light weight, well-balanced on the camera- Compact for it's focal length and brightness-..." Read more
"...It's also much lighter weight, which is wonderful. I also definitely don't feel like I'll miss that extra 20mm in my line of work...." Read more
"...It's about half the weight, half the size and a fraction of the price of my equivalent Canon lens...." Read more
"...It is also not much bigger than Tamron 28-75 that I also own (significantly heavier though, but that's to be expected)...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the sharpness of the lens. They mention that it is compact, and has a 2.8 continuous shooting speed. The center sharpness seems quite good at this setting, but it does get quite soft toward the edges. The lens is sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame. It is fun to shoot and is perfect alongside their 17-70 f2.8. The background blur and image sharpness is pretty good, and it is sharp wide open.
"...1:2 Macro Capability in Manual Focus Mode- Sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame- Fun to shoot with!..." Read more
"...For me there are two things that I look for in any camera lens. A: Sharpness B: Consistency of performance. This lens aces both...." Read more
"...I that was a right choice.With first images I was surprised with how sharp this lens is...." Read more
"...Sharp and clear RAW images were taken with my Sony a7R4. Great value for your lens collection and really nice having the 70-180 range." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the lens. They say it's a great lens for a reasonable price, and worth every cent.
"...Great value for your lens collection and really nice having the 70-180 range." Read more
"...Overall very happy....good bank for the buck. Tamron makes great lenses for sure!." Read more
"...It is a nice, cheaper alternative to the Sony GM OSS II f2.8 lens. Highly recommended! I bought a new lens instead of a used/refurbished one...." Read more
"...This is a no brainer, it is affordable and the quality lives up to the hype. Amazons packaging was not great to be honest...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the focus of the camera lens. They mention that the images are sharp and the focus is fast. The fast aperture means that they can pump up their shutter speed to freeze.
"...The fast aperture meant that I could pump up my shutter speed to freeze action or eek out better ISO performance...." Read more
"Good:Light weightSharp picturesFast apertureFocus speedZoom rangeBad:No manual zoom button..." Read more
"...The images are sharp and the focus is fast. This is one lens I’ll be keeping and using often...." Read more
"This lens is awesome. At 2.8 its sharp at both ends, focus is very quick. The best part to me is the weight.....its light and easy to carry around...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the autofocus of the camera lens. Some mention that it seems decent, while others say that it has missed focus on a few occasions. The minimum focal distance was frankly terrible.
"...Yes, the housing is plastic, not metal, but the zoom and manual focus rings have a nice, smooth feel to them...." Read more
"...for a 2.8 tele zoom, delightfully close focus distance, and essentially parfocal focus...." Read more
"...Images are sharp all around. Autofocus seems decent, although it has missed focus on a few occasions...." Read more
"...I had few moments of lens waiting for auto focus. This happen twice 1. At dancing stage where light level was low. 2...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the image stabilization of the camera lens. They mention that there is no image stabilisation within the lens, and that the stabilization doesn't seem to be that great. They also say that it's hard to hold the camera steady with their hand placed so close to the lens.
"...manual focus ring on the end of the lens as I found it hard to hold the camera lens steady with my hand placed so close to the camera body...." Read more
"...Also, there is no image stabilization within the lens...." Read more
"...It doesn't have optical stabilization, which is good to have on telephoto lenses (in-body stabilization works better on smaller focal distances),..." Read more
"...The thing I don't like is that the stabilization doesn't seem to be that great...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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- Great Build Quality
- Relative light weight, well-balanced on the camera
- Compact for it's focal length and brightness
- Large, comfortable Zoom Ring
- 1:2 Macro Capability in Manual Focus Mode
- Sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame
- Fun to shoot with!
Cons
- No lens stabilization
- No autofocus switch or function button
- Stops at 180mm instead of 200mm
- Manual Ring close to the camera body versus on the end of the lens
Long Review
I had already owned the Sony FE 70-200 f/4 lens which I really liked but noticed that I wasn't using much. I tried using it for indoor photography with a Speedlite (flash), but the ISO levels were much higher than I felt comfortable with due to the f/4 limitation. It was also considerably bulkier than my 24-70 f/2.8; especially, with the tripod mount attached to the lens. Finally, the minimum focal distance was frankly terrible. I could get considerably closer to my subject with my 24-70 vs the 70-200, thus I shot the 24-70 almost all the time. After hearing rave reviews about the Tamron, and the ability to do Macro(ish) photography, I purchased the Tamron and placed the two head to head.
Sharpness
I didn't do much pixel peeping, but it seemed to me in the center of the frame, both the Sony and Tamron were sharp. The Sony fell apart in the corners pretty badly wide open. The Tamron definitely was sharper in the corners wide open (even at a full stop faster), but certainly not as sharp as the center of the frame.
Brightness
Aperture-wise the Tamron is a full stop faster than the Sony (f/2.8 vs f/4), but it actually seemed to pull in 1.25-1.5 stops of light. That is, in some situations where the Sony shot at ISO 800 at f/4, the Tamron seemed to be around ISO 300 at f/2.8 vs the expected ISO 400. I credit this to the due to the fact that light "transmission" of the lens is different than aperture. It just might be that the Sony has more lens elements and coatings that reduce light transmission versus the Tamron. To any effect, it was a nice little bonus.
Minimum Focus Distance
In autofocus mode, the Tamron can definitely get closer to a subject than the Sony, but reproduction ratio is still not as good as my Sony 24-70 f/2.8. Switching the Tamron to manual mode, and adjusting the Zoom ring to 70mm, you can get as close as 1:2 which is getting close to Macro territory. The center sharpness seems quite good at this setting, but it does get quite soft toward the edges of the frame. This is the only time that I missed having the manual focus ring on the end of the lens as I found it hard to hold the camera lens steady with my hand placed so close to the camera body. It's neat you get that bonus feature out of the lens, but those that want quality Macro images should still get a dedicated Macro lens.
Low-Light Performance
The Tamron seemed to get an additional 1-1.5 stops of light over my Sony depending on the focal length, but the Sony has lens Optical Image Stabilization built-in. With the Optical Image Stabilization turned ON, I was able to get (reliably) an additional 1-1.5 stops out of the shutter speed for still subjects. On the other hand, for moving subjects, the Tamron has the advantage as you can have faster shutter speeds with better Iso performance over the Sony.
Indoor Photography with Speedlite
Even with a Speedlite, I find larger apertures to be preferred. The larger the aperture, the brighter the background is which makes for more pleasing, natural looking photos. The Tamron created more pleasing images, at faster shutter speeds (or better ISO performance) than the Sony.
Build Quality
Reviewers lamented at Tamron's plastic housing calling it cheap and "kit lens" like. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, the housing is plastic, not metal, but the zoom and manual focus rings have a nice, smooth feel to them. In addition, while not terribly heavy, there is some heft to the Tamron lens and it feels solid. Finally, there is a nice tactile feel of the (huge) rubber Zoom Ring and Manual Focus ring. I will say that the Sony feels like a tank with its metal housing and internal zoom, but the Tamron is no "kit lens", it feels substantial in the hand and I personally like the black finish to the Sony's white.
To be honest, after testing both lenses, I was conflicted if I really wanted to get rid of my Sony. Tamron seemed to only slightly edge out the Sony in all of my tests. But the deal-breaker was when I used the Tamron out in the field. It takes up less space in my bag and feels so much better in the hand than my Sony ever did. The fast aperture meant that I could pump up my shutter speed to freeze action or eek out better ISO performance. Where as with the Sony, I would shoot a little bit and then switch back to my 24-70, the Tamron I just enjoyed shooting so much that I would keep it on for much of the day. Needless to say, I sold my Sony and kept the Tamron.
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
- Great Build Quality
- Relative light weight, well-balanced on the camera
- Compact for it's focal length and brightness
- Large, comfortable Zoom Ring
- 1:2 Macro Capability in Manual Focus Mode
- Sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame
- Fun to shoot with!
Cons
- No lens stabilization
- No autofocus switch or function button
- Stops at 180mm instead of 200mm
- Manual Ring close to the camera body versus on the end of the lens
Long Review
I had already owned the Sony FE 70-200 f/4 lens which I really liked but noticed that I wasn't using much. I tried using it for indoor photography with a Speedlite (flash), but the ISO levels were much higher than I felt comfortable with due to the f/4 limitation. It was also considerably bulkier than my 24-70 f/2.8; especially, with the tripod mount attached to the lens. Finally, the minimum focal distance was frankly terrible. I could get considerably closer to my subject with my 24-70 vs the 70-200, thus I shot the 24-70 almost all the time. After hearing rave reviews about the Tamron, and the ability to do Macro(ish) photography, I purchased the Tamron and placed the two head to head.
Sharpness
I didn't do much pixel peeping, but it seemed to me in the center of the frame, both the Sony and Tamron were sharp. The Sony fell apart in the corners pretty badly wide open. The Tamron definitely was sharper in the corners wide open (even at a full stop faster), but certainly not as sharp as the center of the frame.
Brightness
Aperture-wise the Tamron is a full stop faster than the Sony (f/2.8 vs f/4), but it actually seemed to pull in 1.25-1.5 stops of light. That is, in some situations where the Sony shot at ISO 800 at f/4, the Tamron seemed to be around ISO 300 at f/2.8 vs the expected ISO 400. I credit this to the due to the fact that light "transmission" of the lens is different than aperture. It just might be that the Sony has more lens elements and coatings that reduce light transmission versus the Tamron. To any effect, it was a nice little bonus.
Minimum Focus Distance
In autofocus mode, the Tamron can definitely get closer to a subject than the Sony, but reproduction ratio is still not as good as my Sony 24-70 f/2.8. Switching the Tamron to manual mode, and adjusting the Zoom ring to 70mm, you can get as close as 1:2 which is getting close to Macro territory. The center sharpness seems quite good at this setting, but it does get quite soft toward the edges of the frame. This is the only time that I missed having the manual focus ring on the end of the lens as I found it hard to hold the camera lens steady with my hand placed so close to the camera body. It's neat you get that bonus feature out of the lens, but those that want quality Macro images should still get a dedicated Macro lens.
Low-Light Performance
The Tamron seemed to get an additional 1-1.5 stops of light over my Sony depending on the focal length, but the Sony has lens Optical Image Stabilization built-in. With the Optical Image Stabilization turned ON, I was able to get (reliably) an additional 1-1.5 stops out of the shutter speed for still subjects. On the other hand, for moving subjects, the Tamron has the advantage as you can have faster shutter speeds with better Iso performance over the Sony.
Indoor Photography with Speedlite
Even with a Speedlite, I find larger apertures to be preferred. The larger the aperture, the brighter the background is which makes for more pleasing, natural looking photos. The Tamron created more pleasing images, at faster shutter speeds (or better ISO performance) than the Sony.
Build Quality
Reviewers lamented at Tamron's plastic housing calling it cheap and "kit lens" like. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, the housing is plastic, not metal, but the zoom and manual focus rings have a nice, smooth feel to them. In addition, while not terribly heavy, there is some heft to the Tamron lens and it feels solid. Finally, there is a nice tactile feel of the (huge) rubber Zoom Ring and Manual Focus ring. I will say that the Sony feels like a tank with its metal housing and internal zoom, but the Tamron is no "kit lens", it feels substantial in the hand and I personally like the black finish to the Sony's white.
To be honest, after testing both lenses, I was conflicted if I really wanted to get rid of my Sony. Tamron seemed to only slightly edge out the Sony in all of my tests. But the deal-breaker was when I used the Tamron out in the field. It takes up less space in my bag and feels so much better in the hand than my Sony ever did. The fast aperture meant that I could pump up my shutter speed to freeze action or eek out better ISO performance. Where as with the Sony, I would shoot a little bit and then switch back to my 24-70, the Tamron I just enjoyed shooting so much that I would keep it on for much of the day. Needless to say, I sold my Sony and kept the Tamron.
I've spent enough time behind a camera to know pretty quickly whether a lens is working for me or not. After testing several Sony lenses that were lack-luster and were returned, I decided to give this one a try. I have the equivalent of this lens from Canon. And it is the finest lens that I own. To my shock and amazement, this little gem of Tamron's is exceeding my expectations. It's about half the weight, half the size and a fraction of the price of my equivalent Canon lens. Why did I need this if I already have the Canon 2.8 lens you ask? Because I have no interest in hiking, walking and exploring long distances with a lens the size and weight of a sewer pipe hanging around my neck. This little Tamron is the perfect hiking companion. It is much more of a "walk-about" lens than my Canon one is.
For me there are two things that I look for in any camera lens. A: Sharpness B: Consistency of performance. This lens aces both. I will pay more for these qualities, but in this case, you don't have to. The fixed 2.8 aperture is such an amazing thing to have in a lens and this lens syncs up with my Sony a9 perfectly. There is a slight "clunking" sound when the lens focuses, but with the reading that I've done, this is normal, so it's fine.
I've found that I can get to within about 14" of my subject while zoomed all the way in, which gives this lens a bit of a "macro" feature...not a true macro, but very nice for a mid-range zoom.
Tamron used a lot of plastic on this lens to keep the weight down. It feels very solid to me. I'm not hard on my camera gear, so I don't see that as a problem. Also, there is no image stabilization within the lens. I shot in all kinds of light and I admit that I've got a fairly steady hand, so that is not going to be an issue for me at all. And my camera body has some stabilization built in to it.
For the money, you just can't beat this lens for your Sony E mount cameras. There is a reason that most photographers are giving this thing five stars. I'll let my images speak for themselves.
I've spent enough time behind a camera to know pretty quickly whether a lens is working for me or not. After testing several Sony lenses that were lack-luster and were returned, I decided to give this one a try. I have the equivalent of this lens from Canon. And it is the finest lens that I own. To my shock and amazement, this little gem of Tamron's is exceeding my expectations. It's about half the weight, half the size and a fraction of the price of my equivalent Canon lens. Why did I need this if I already have the Canon 2.8 lens you ask? Because I have no interest in hiking, walking and exploring long distances with a lens the size and weight of a sewer pipe hanging around my neck. This little Tamron is the perfect hiking companion. It is much more of a "walk-about" lens than my Canon one is.
For me there are two things that I look for in any camera lens. A: Sharpness B: Consistency of performance. This lens aces both. I will pay more for these qualities, but in this case, you don't have to. The fixed 2.8 aperture is such an amazing thing to have in a lens and this lens syncs up with my Sony a9 perfectly. There is a slight "clunking" sound when the lens focuses, but with the reading that I've done, this is normal, so it's fine.
I've found that I can get to within about 14" of my subject while zoomed all the way in, which gives this lens a bit of a "macro" feature...not a true macro, but very nice for a mid-range zoom.
Tamron used a lot of plastic on this lens to keep the weight down. It feels very solid to me. I'm not hard on my camera gear, so I don't see that as a problem. Also, there is no image stabilization within the lens. I shot in all kinds of light and I admit that I've got a fairly steady hand, so that is not going to be an issue for me at all. And my camera body has some stabilization built in to it.
For the money, you just can't beat this lens for your Sony E mount cameras. There is a reason that most photographers are giving this thing five stars. I'll let my images speak for themselves.
With first images I was surprised with how sharp this lens is. It is also not much bigger than Tamron 28-75 that I also own (significantly heavier though, but that's to be expected). It doesn't have optical stabilization, which is good to have on telephoto lenses (in-body stabilization works better on smaller focal distances), but for the price and its versatility I expect it to be on my sony body a significant amount of time.
And with the same 67mm filter diameter I don't have to buy new set of filters.
Tamron wins my heart and my money once again!
Update:
after a few days I've noticed a sound as if something was loose inside the lens when shaken a bit. After some research I now know that its focusing mechanism that moves freely when camera is powered off (or lens is detached). This is due to this lens using electromagnetic coils to move focusing mechanism as oppose to servo motors. I would still recommend this lens as this doesn't affect picture quality or experience, but I wish they would come up with some solution to fix all moving parts when camera turns off.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2020
With first images I was surprised with how sharp this lens is. It is also not much bigger than Tamron 28-75 that I also own (significantly heavier though, but that's to be expected). It doesn't have optical stabilization, which is good to have on telephoto lenses (in-body stabilization works better on smaller focal distances), but for the price and its versatility I expect it to be on my sony body a significant amount of time.
And with the same 67mm filter diameter I don't have to buy new set of filters.
Tamron wins my heart and my money once again!
Update:
after a few days I've noticed a sound as if something was loose inside the lens when shaken a bit. After some research I now know that its focusing mechanism that moves freely when camera is powered off (or lens is detached). This is due to this lens using electromagnetic coils to move focusing mechanism as oppose to servo motors. I would still recommend this lens as this doesn't affect picture quality or experience, but I wish they would come up with some solution to fix all moving parts when camera turns off.
Top reviews from other countries
欠点のは画像安定化がないです
Reviewed in Japan on December 27, 2020
欠点のは画像安定化がないです