Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Overview

Execs: The large one is attain — at 600mm on my Nikon DX format physique it provides a staggering 900mm 35mm equal. Glorious picture high quality all through the zoom vary. Autofocus is fast and responsive, with minimal “searching” and as soon as locked on stays locked on (so long as you may maintain the topic within the body… typically a problem at excessive focal lengths). Superb construct high quality. Glorious VR / picture stabilisation functionality makes hand-held pictures at 600mm is surprisingly viable. Good zoom vary makes this a really versatile lens.

Cons: Whereas comparatively gentle for a lens of this focal size and construct high quality, it may be a bit cumbersome to hold round for lengthy durations within the area. Capturing handheld for in depth durations will provide you with a sore arm… a monopod or tripod quickly cures that although. Typically discovered myself craving for an additional cease or two as the sunshine light. Many of the “cons” had been all the way down to the photographer (at all times studying), or long-lens images generally, reasonably than with this lens particularly.

Value: €1,475 accessible for Nikon (examined), Canon and Sigma mount DSLRs

Worth: Glorious

Ranking: Extremely Beneficial

The G2 is the second era of Tamron’s groundbreaking 150-600mm super-zoom, and introduces a lot of refinements to the unique mannequin, together with a contemporary design, skilled grade construct high quality and totally weather-sealed development, improved optics, higher autofocus efficiency and revamped VR. The result’s a flexible all-round performer at a pretty value. It’s excellent for the budding wildlife photographer on a price range trying to get a bit nearer to their topic with out breaking the financial institution, and for birders and wildlife watchers who need most attain and adaptability for these all-important record-shots within the area.

View the Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 on the Tamron UK web site.

You should buy the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 on Amazon UK or Amazon US.

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The very first thing I’ll level out right here is that this isn’t going to be just like the evaluations you’ll learn for this lens on images blogs {and professional} images web sites. I’m reviewing it right here from the angle of a birding and wildlife fanatic trying to {photograph} and share photographs of the wildlife I see within the area.

You gained’t get photographs of decision charts, and detailed technical examination of the optical traits of the lens parts and all that fascinating photographic trivialities. What you’ll get is an sincere account of my expertise utilizing this lens within the area to {photograph} wildlife, and a few examples of the outcomes I’ve managed to realize in my transient time with it photographing actual, residing, respiration, shifting topics on Eire’s south coast.

So… let’s see what this lens is de facto like.

Stability dealing with and construct high quality

The SP 150-600mm G2 arrives in a pretty, surprisingly compact field, given its spectacular focal size. And whenever you unpack it you discover that with out the massive lens hood hooked up, or with it reversed, it’s fairly a compact unit.

Whenever you choose it up it feels stable and effectively made, however, at simply shade over 2kg, it wasn’t as heavy as I used to be anticipating given it’s specification. The end on this lens is de facto good… the design is fashionable and Tamron has clearly paid consideration to construct high quality. It seems like a high-end product.

The compact really feel diminishes considerably whenever you connect the sizeable lens hood and zoom the lens out to its full 600mm focal size, however it’s nonetheless manageable. Linked to my Nikon D7200 DSLR physique the mix felt fairly balanced, and, to my shock, simply hand-holdable. I used to be anticipating to wish a tripod or not less than a monopod to make use of this lens, however from the very first moments I knew it will even be a helpful lens for ultra-mobile handheld capturing — which is good for whenever you’re out birding or wildlife watching.

If something I feel a barely heavier physique (just like the Nikon D500) would lead to an much more balanced arrange. The D7200 feels maybe a bit of gentle paired with this lens.

It’s additionally price noting that not like the primary model the G2 lens is now totally weather-sealed, so you should utilize it with confidence in dusty or (a boon right here in Eire) moist environments.

Focusing

The 150-600mm G2 options Tamron’s USD (Ultrosonic Silent Drive) autofocus system, that’s each fast and quiet in use. All you hear is a comfortable whirring because the lens brings your topic into sharp focus, and, in case you have steady focus and topic monitoring enabled in your digital camera (as you virtually at all times could have when photographing birds and wildlife) the occasional subdued “thunk” because the lens adjustments focus course to maintain your topic sharp.

Very sometimes I struggled to deal with what I meant to first time… significantly with comparatively small topics, like birds in opposition to an in depth background, when the digital camera would typically select to deal with the background element reasonably than the chicken. It is a widespread autofocus foible that’s as a lot to do with the digital camera because the lens. It was simply remedied by a fast flip of the guide focus override ring, or by shifting composition, refocusing on one thing the identical distance away as the topic, then re-framing and specializing in the meant topic once more.

That did imply I missed the occasional shot, however typically I discovered focusing very responsive and correct with this lens, with solely minimal searching every so often, and solely ever in tough conditions the place the meant topic didn’t actually stand out.

Monitoring shifting topics and conserving them in focus is among the largest challenges with wildlife images, significantly birds in flight. At first I struggled to get birds within the body in any respect. That massive 600mm attain equates to a 900mm 35mm equal focal size on my D7200, and that made discovering flying birds within the viewfinder, and conserving them within the focus “zone” an actual problem at first.

Apply is the important thing, and over a comparatively quick area of time I began to get the cling of it… though it may possibly nonetheless be an train in frustration with small, fast paced birds. As soon as I had the topic centred within the viewfinder the lens / digital camera mixture had no downside locking in focus and monitoring the topic throughout the limitations of the digital camera physique’s autofocus capabilities (i.e. each shot in a sequence wasn’t at all times sharp. I’ve my digital camera set to prioritise shutter launch over focus to seize the shot in tough conditions, so inevitably the shutter sometimes fires whereas the lens was nonetheless focusing).

I’ve used the SP 150-600mm G2 from comparatively unstable platforms, like shifting boats, and managed to get some good outcomes monitoring fast paced topics like flying birds and dolphins.

The minimal quoted focus distance of two.2 metres is sweet for a lens of this focal size, and mixed with the power to zoom out when topics transfer nearer makes for some very versatile capturing alternatives. It additionally means this lens is appropriate for getting shut ups of bigger bugs like butterflies and dragonflies at relaxation, and even maybe in flight… though that’s a trickier proposition.

One other helpful function is the main target vary limiter swap, which lets you scale back the main target journey to a subset of the complete focal vary so the lens can focus sooner in particular capturing eventualities. You may select between the complete focal vary (the plain default), 10m to infinity (when photographing basic / distant topics), or 2.2m to 10m (whenever you’re concentrating on shut ups).

A guide focus ring on the lens barrel may be turned at any time to override the autofocus and manually focus the lens. It rotates rapidly and easily and is a useful function on these uncommon events when the autofocus struggles to lock on to your meant topic.

Picture Stabilisation / Vibration Discount / Vibration Compensation

The Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 encompasses a revamped VC (Vibration Compensation) system with three modes to select from utilizing a handy swap on the lens barrel. VC mode 1 strikes a contented stability between stabilising the viewfinder picture (making your topic simpler to border at lengthy focal lengths) and stabilising the captured picture, VC mode 2 is designed for panning, so gained’t try to dampen intentional horizontal movement, and VC mode 3 forgoes viewfinder stabilisation in favour of maximising stabilisation of the captured picture.

Tamron claims that in mode 3 this new VC system achieves the equal of a 4.5 cease profit primarily based on CIPA (Digital camera and Imaging Merchandise Affiliation) outlined requirements.

In concept meaning you may shoot handheld at longer focal lengths utilizing a lot slower shutter speeds than you would possibly count on and nonetheless find yourself with sharp photographs. In flip meaning you should utilize a decrease ISO, successfully decreasing noise and bettering picture. The caveat (significantly for wildlife images) is that VC doesn’t assist a lot in case your topic is shifting, however it’s a actually helpful function, and works very effectively on this lens.

For basic images I merely left VR set to mode 1 and was happy, and infrequently stunned by simply how sluggish I may go together with the shutter velocity and nonetheless get acceptable outcomes. I’d usually overlook to modify to panning mode (mode 2) for birds in flight or dolphins making a beeline for the boat, however nonetheless managed good leads to mode 1. Mode 3 made it considerably more durable to border and preserve the topic within the viewfinder, however did ship a noticeable step up in efficiency when it got here to the sharpness of the captured picture — BUT just for stationary topics.

Typically mode 1 VC works rather well as a basic objective choice — and you’ll swap to one of many different modes for particular capturing eventualities as obligatory.

Zooming out and in

Whereas anybody shopping for a 150-600mm zoom is more likely to spend extra time utilizing it at 600mm than at 150mm, the flexibleness of with the ability to zoom out makes this a really versatile lens for wildlife. One of many issues with lengthy prime lenses is that in case your topic approaches you (as can occur surprisingly usually), you merely can’t suit your topic within the body or can’t focus shut sufficient to get the shot.

I do a good bit of images out on boats off the West Cork coast, the place wildlife like seals, dolphins, whales and seabirds usually enterprise surprisingly shut. It’s nice to have the 600mm (900mm equal on my DX physique) to tug in distant motion, however being able to rapidly swap to a decrease focal size to seize nearer topics or get a wider perspective with extra context is invaluable.

The large zoom ring has loads of grip and strikes easily with a average quantity of resistance that makes it fast and simple to zoom to any level within the zoom vary. A useful new function launched within the G2 is the power to lock the lens at any level in its zoom vary by merely sliding the zoom ring ahead. It means you may confidently {photograph} at any zoom setting, at any angle, with out the danger of the zoom creeping by hook or by crook resulting from gravity. It’s additionally helpful to stop the lens from extending as you stroll round along with your digital camera over your shoulder between pictures.

Along with the zoom ring lock, which fixes the zoom at any focal size whereas capturing, there’s additionally a zoom lock swap that may lock the lens within the 150mm place for transport / when not in use.

Optical Options and Picture High quality

The optics of the Tamron SP150-600mm G2 function 21 parts in 13 teams, together with three LD (Low Dispersion) parts to eradicate chromatic aberration. The lens additionally incorporates Tamron’s proprietary suite of anti-reflection applied sciences, together with eBAND (Prolonged Bandwidth and Angular Dependency) and BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coatings to enhance gentle transmission via the lens and suppress inside reflections, successfully eliminating the ghosting and flare usually brought on by reflections contained in the lens.

Lastly a water and oil repellent fluorine coating on the entrance lens floor helps shield it from the damaging results of grime, moisture and fingerprints, and makes it a lot simpler to maintain clear.

By way of picture high quality, when gentle is sweet, and the topic is shut sufficient to keep away from any distortion or haze resulting from atmospheric circumstances, the lens produces razor sharp photographs with tonnes of element all through its zoom vary, even large open. It does appear a shade sharper when stopped down one or two stops, however actually it’s arduous to note a distinction with actual photographs.

I’m certain in case you had been to exit and take a lot of pictures of decision charts and straight strains in constant circumstances and lighting you then’d be capable of pick delicate variations. However for probably the most half nature on this a part of the world has little to do with straight strains and consistency. The optics within the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 seem to supply persistently top quality photographs throughout a variety of focal lengths, apertures and in a wide range of circumstances.

The primary caveat is, as with all lengthy lens with a relatively small most aperture (f5.6-6.3) you want loads of gentle to supply the perfect outcomes. The VC system construct in to the Tamron helps enormously, however with shifting topics you’re nonetheless going to want a lot of gentle to get the shutter speeds you want.

As the sunshine falls off, and also you’re compelled to bump up the digital camera ISO to get the shutter speeds you have to freeze the motion, you’ll find yourself with noisier photographs. High quality suffers, however that’s probably not the lens’s fault — it’s easy bodily legal guidelines at work.

A phrase about most apertures, low gentle and excessive ISO

The comparatively small most aperture of the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 is a limiting issue, there’s little doubt — but it surely’s a compromise {that a}) brings the lens in at an inexpensive value level and b) makes it transportable and versatile sufficient to handhold comparatively comfortably within the area.

It implies that this lens isn’t your best option for skilled low-light images — however to enhance issues in that regard you’ll sometimes should pay a number of occasions extra for a quick prime lens. Even you then’ll lose loads of the flexibility that offers this lens its enchantment.

However simply because you may’t get the perfect out of the lens in low gentle, that doesn’t imply that you just can’t use it in low gentle. You actually can — it simply means the photographs you get gained’t be of the identical high quality.

With fashionable digital camera our bodies able to capturing at excessive ISO ranges you may get completely acceptable photographs with the 150-600mm G2 as the sunshine fades. The ensuing photographs will simply have excessive ranges of noise (the digital equal of movie grain, in case you like) however will nonetheless be helpful as a photographic document pictures of the wildlife you see (see the goldcrest picture shot at an ISO of 25,600).

Conclusions

I’ve completely loved testing the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 lens. The construct high quality is great, efficiency is nice and it produces some excellent photographs. The 900mm 35mm equal focal size on a DX / APSC physique is staggering, but the flexibleness afforded by the zoom means you may seize photographs you’d in any other case miss.

Sure, a relatively sluggish most aperture is a disadvantage… and also you do want loads of gentle to get the perfect out of this lens. However general it’s a incredible all rounder, and a really perfect subsequent step for the eager newbie wildlife photographer on a price range, or these searching for an extended lens to get higher photographic document pictures of the species they see within the area.

You should buy the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 on Amazon UK or Amazon US.

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Technical Specification

Taken from the Tamron UK web site.

Focal Size [mm]	150-600
Most Aperture	5-6.3
Minimal Object Distance [m]	2.20
Most Magnification Ratio	1:3.9
Filter Dimension [mm]	95
Weight [g]	2,010