![]() ![]() Focus here is very fast, very quiet, and very smooth. I’ve tested Tamron lenses in the past that had slower focus, but that’s not been the case with any of the lenses with RXD or VXD motors. It is in the feature section that these Tamron zooms come up short, but fortunately better news lies ahead… Tamron 70-300mm RXD Autofocus Performanceīetter news definitely comes with Tamron’s RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) focus system (yes, Tamron was very randomly selective with what letter they chose to highlight!) This high-speed stepping motor has been smooth, powerful, and quiet in each of the applications I’ve seen it in. Of course! But fortunately my actual results weren’t too bad due to Sony’s IBIS doing a pretty good job. At longer focal lengths any kind of subject movement becomes quite obvious even with great stabilization at the lens/camera, so practically I mostly want to get reliable results from 1/60th – 1/100th of a second in those moments when the shutter speed drops due to changing lighting conditions. I didn’t try to shoot with ridiculously low shutter speeds handheld, and I don’t really recommend that you do, either. Special coatings on the front element help resist fingerprints and moisture. So what is there? First of all, we do have a nice degree of weather sealing, with a gasket at the lens mount along with internal seals at the rings and front element. These missing pieces might mean little to some potential buyers but a lot to others. If things seem negative to this point, it is only because I want to be clear about what Tamron has chosen to cut from these designs in order to make what is left both affordable and high performing. ![]() Not a big deal, per se, but I do prefer to having the locking option. I definitely found while hiking that the A047 would end up zoomed after a bit either from from friction or gravity. Also missing is a zoom lock that will keep the lens locked in the retracted position and keep it from inadvertently zooming. The A047 is quite small and compact compared to the Sigma 100-400mm DN lens that I reviewed earlier in the year.Īs noted, there are no switches on the barrel, so you’ll have to choose between AF/MF and (potentially) control the IBIS (if your camera has it) from within the camera. Now, to be fair, a person wanting a compact, lightweight lens that has actual telephoto reach will definitely find the 70-300 form factor considerably smaller than, say, a 100-400mm lens. The new design maintains excellent strength while successfully reducing weight to around 68% of previous mounts.” So, to be fair, the weight savings wasn’t just achieved by cutting features. Tamron does note, “ Taking the weight savings even further, we used a specially treated, high-strength aluminum-magnesium alloy, the first time Tamron has used this material in the mount components of a lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. “Lighter” I will grant, but “smaller” is more of a marketing technicality. The bottom line is that the Tamron is considerably lighter, but I don’t think emphasizing the “smallness” of the lens is the best measure of its worth. And yes, the Tamron is considerably lighter, but it is also not a direct apples to apples comparison, as the Sony has a Optical Stabilizer along with more features (and a slightly larger maximum aperture). The most relevant point of comparison is to the Sony 70-300G, and, while the Sony is considerably heavier (854 vs 545g) and a bit wider (84 vs 77mm), it’s actually a few millimeters shorter (143.5 vs 148mm). The design language is simple and uncluttered, but it is also very bare – no switches or even a zoom lock – just the narrow manual focus ring and then the larger, more thickly ribbed zoom ring. Tamron’s focus on performance (both optical and autofocus) has allowed their zoom lenses to be very strong optically relative to the competition even while offering considerably less in the features department. They have banked on the proposition that people are more interested in strong performance at a value price than they are on features that they may or may not use. A047 Build and HandlingĪs noted as our intro, Tamron has followed a formula that has (thus far) proven to be a winning formula for them. Thanks to Tamron USA for the loaner lens! As always, my reviews are completely independent. Prefer to watch your reviews? Check out either the long format definitive review or shorter standard video reviews below:įollow Me Patreon | My Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | 500px That’s obviously going to be a major factor for a lot of potential buyers, but can the Tamron compete on its own merit? We’ll explore that in our review. Tamron has managed to undercut Sony’s own 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS lens by half, with the Sony costing nearly $1200 while the Tamron clocks in at only $550 USD. ![]()
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