The recent release of Tamron’s SP150-600 zoom lens has got tongues wagging.
When the lens with the massive 4x focal range was announced not everyone was excited. Tamron have made some good lenses in the past but they’ve also made some average ones.
The big question being asked about the SP150-600 was whether it would perform well enough to be given serious consideration by Canon & Nikon users.
Well, what’s the competition it is up against?
Canon’s EF 200-400mm f/4 L IS USM Extender 1.4x Lens is a peach; but at over £10,000 it is beyond the budget of most amateur photographers, no matter how much they may covet one.
Nikon’s 80-400mm AF-S Nikkor f4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens is another fine piece of glass but costs almost £2,000. And neither of these have the range of the Tamron.
The Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM has almost the focal range and costs just £750, but it really isn’t that great a lens. Sigma do have another super zoom, the Sigma 200-500mm f2.8 EX DG Telephoto Zoom lens, but that costs a whopping £12,000.
So the big question is whether Tamron can carve a niche for themselves with their new lens.
A Game Changer?
As far as price is concerned we think they have pitched it just about right, at around £950. The reviews we’ve read so far are mostly complimentary – praising the sharpness, the image stabilisation adn the AF system – one reviewer even went so far as to call the lens a game changer.
Dustin Abbott wrote:
“The truth of the matter is that none of us knew whether Tamron had a hit or not; we just knew that Tamron was swinging for the fences with this one. Many of us hoped that due to the very positive trend in recent Tamron offerings that maybe, just maybe, Tamron had a game-changer.
After shooting more than a thousand frames with this lens, I believe that I can safely say that Tamron does in fact have a game-changer on its hands. This lens defies all expectations (including my own). It is an excellent telephoto zoom lens that reaches a focal length longer than what most people currently own at a price that they can probably afford. That makes it fairly unique. But what really sets this lens apart from previous budget offerings is that, other than price, there isn’t really anything “budget” about it. I am very privileged to get to share one of the very first thorough reviews on a lens that has convinced me.”
You can read his full review here.
Other reviews have been equally positive.
Photography Blog rated the lens 4.5 for quality and 5 for value (out of a possible 5) Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD
and ephotozine.com rated it Highly Recommended with 4.5 stars (out of apossible 5) Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD
So the consensus seems to be that we should take this new Tamron SP lens very seriously indeed.
As with any piece of equipment though, you need to be sure that it is right for you. Before you rush to order one online we strongly recommend that you head down to your nearest specialist photgraphic dealer and try the lens on your own camera body.