Well, I picked one up today. After going back and forth with the Nikkor 70-300 VR as the other option.
My first impressions so far is that this is a winner for Tamron. Its well built, feels very sturdy, outstanding VC, fast focusing, and excellent optics.
Its a lot larger than I had anticipated. It balances really well on my D700 and I think it should be just fine on a D90/D7000 body. It's mostly plastic, but it by no means feels cheap at all. The finish is nice and matches the Nikon texture quite well. It comes supplied with a nice large hood, very deep... no doubt should keep stray light away.
The zoom ring is nice and smooth, has some nice feedback and shows no sign of creep at all. The focus ring is also superb, very well dampened and glides as well as any other full time manual ring motor system I have used before. The zoom and focus rings are nice and broad with a nice rubber grip on them.
VC is outstading, it does make a little sound when it engages and does jump for just split second once its engaged... and then you get this incredible stabilized image. I always felt I had a good steady arm/s and good technique, but this makes me feel like I am a statue. Its REALLY good. (Please note I have never tried the Nikkor 70-300 VR, so I can't compare)
The USD is a first for Tamron. Its very fast and very accurate. My copy needed no adjusting and is just as fast as any other ring motor system I have used. Nice work Tamron!
Optics are excellent. Wide open at 70-200 are very sharp in the center, with the edges just barely behind (no charts just from my eye balls). At 300 is where I was really surprised, the center is still sharp wide open! This is where I think this really helps it stand out. Sure its not a fast lens, but the ability to at least shoot wide open at 70 through 300 is a nice touch and I am very happy that Tamron did not skimp on this. Stop the lens down to 8-11 and its excellent through the whole frame.
At 390-400USD (after 50 dollar rebate), I think this is an excellent piece of glass for the money.
Here are some shots of the lens itself. I really don't/haven't done products shots so don't kill me
I will have a fuller review in the next few days after I can mess with it some more. I will be taking it to a Derby tomorrow and run it through the ringer there a bit, and get some more everyday type photos.
For now, here are a couple wide open shots at 300mm with 100% crops. I think its pretty sharp.
My first impressions so far is that this is a winner for Tamron. Its well built, feels very sturdy, outstanding VC, fast focusing, and excellent optics.
Its a lot larger than I had anticipated. It balances really well on my D700 and I think it should be just fine on a D90/D7000 body. It's mostly plastic, but it by no means feels cheap at all. The finish is nice and matches the Nikon texture quite well. It comes supplied with a nice large hood, very deep... no doubt should keep stray light away.
The zoom ring is nice and smooth, has some nice feedback and shows no sign of creep at all. The focus ring is also superb, very well dampened and glides as well as any other full time manual ring motor system I have used before. The zoom and focus rings are nice and broad with a nice rubber grip on them.
VC is outstading, it does make a little sound when it engages and does jump for just split second once its engaged... and then you get this incredible stabilized image. I always felt I had a good steady arm/s and good technique, but this makes me feel like I am a statue. Its REALLY good. (Please note I have never tried the Nikkor 70-300 VR, so I can't compare)
The USD is a first for Tamron. Its very fast and very accurate. My copy needed no adjusting and is just as fast as any other ring motor system I have used. Nice work Tamron!
Optics are excellent. Wide open at 70-200 are very sharp in the center, with the edges just barely behind (no charts just from my eye balls). At 300 is where I was really surprised, the center is still sharp wide open! This is where I think this really helps it stand out. Sure its not a fast lens, but the ability to at least shoot wide open at 70 through 300 is a nice touch and I am very happy that Tamron did not skimp on this. Stop the lens down to 8-11 and its excellent through the whole frame.
At 390-400USD (after 50 dollar rebate), I think this is an excellent piece of glass for the money.
Here are some shots of the lens itself. I really don't/haven't done products shots so don't kill me
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I will have a fuller review in the next few days after I can mess with it some more. I will be taking it to a Derby tomorrow and run it through the ringer there a bit, and get some more everyday type photos.
For now, here are a couple wide open shots at 300mm with 100% crops. I think its pretty sharp.
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