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Product Description
Product Description
In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s Anniversary lens - the SP AF70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD - utilises an advanced optical design that features a LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialised materials that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP AF70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD boasts sharp contrast and great descriptive performance.
In addition, it is the first Tamron lens to include a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports, racing, or other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilisation to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom.This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens.
Design Features
A new optical system optimised for digital SLRs achieves top resolution in the 70-300mm class with specialised glass elements. The advanced optical design employs a sophisticated XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from a special high-grade glass that has dispersive properties (i.e. where refraction causes the dispersion of white light into spectral hues) even lower than standard LD lenses. The dispersive properties of the XLD lens are similar to those of fluorite; in combination with the LD elements, these make for an optimal optical design that delivers best-in-class resolution with advanced axial chromatic and magnification aberration correction – major inhibitors of image quality enhancement. The result is a lens that delivers sharp contrast and better descriptive performance throughout the entire zoom range. The lens also looks good as Tamron has adopted a streamlined silhouette to ensure that the lens fits in with a variety of SLR cameras. The subtle texture of the paint gives a well-crafted finish to the exterior.
Vibration Compensation (VC): Image Stabilisation
The SP AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD employs Tamron’s excellent image stabilisation mechanism – the VC (Vibration Compensation) seen in both the AF18-270mm Di II VC (Model B003) and SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC (Model B005). With VC, the photographer has the freedom to shoot at a shutter speed that is an extra four stops slower without having to worry about image blurring. This makes handheld capture of evening, night and interior shots much more spontaneous, as a sharp image can be obtained more easily without having to mount the camera on a tripod.
Full-Time Manual Focus
Autofocus has many benefits but sometimes the photographer needs the control of manual focus. Full-time manual offers just that: the crossover from autofocus to manual focus by simply adjusting the focus ring, allowing the photographer to make adjustments on the fly. This feature helps the lens produce impressive results even in telephoto situations where the depth of field is shallow.
Enjoyable Photography
With a full-frame digital or 35mm SLR, portrait and medium telephoto shots can be achieved on the wider 70mm end of the range and spectacular telephoto shots at the longer 300mm. When using an APS-C sensor camera the angle of view narrows, giving it the equivalent range of 109-465mm* for bold ultra-telephoto shots. And with its maximum magnification ratio 1:4, the lens can be used to explore the realm of semi-macro photography.
Uncompromising Countermeasures Reduce Ghosting and Flare
Digital photography requires extreme precision, which is why Tamron incorporates new BBAR (Broad-Band Anti Reflection) multilayer coatings that reduce reflection into the lens elements. This ensures excellent performance in all photographic conditions and enhances light transmission on both long and short wavelengths. Also, Tamron applies internal surface coatings on cemented surfaces of lens elements to make images sharper with better colour balance and reproduction.
Flower-Shaped Hood
Included as a standard accessory, the flower-shaped hood matches the rectangular shape of the image sensor to most effectively block the interference of superfluous light rays entering from outside the borders of the image area, helping to ensure sharp, clear, flare-free images with crisp detail in the shadow areas.
Super Performance for Discriminating Shooters (SP)
Tamron SP (Super Performance) series is a line of ultra-high-performance lenses designed and manufactured to the exacting specifications demanded by professionals and others who require the highest possible image quality. In creating SP lenses Tamron’s optical designers put their foremost priority on achieving superior performance parameters—they are all designed to a higher standard with little regard for cost constraints. As a result, Tamron lenses bearing the SP designation feature impressive and innovative designs that have established an enviable reputation for excellence among those knowledgeable photographers that demand the very best.
Internal Focusing System (IF)
Internal focusing provides numerous practical benefits to photographers, including a non-rotating front filter ring that facilitates the positioning of polarising and graduated filters, and more predictable handling as the lens length does not change during focusing. Even more important, Tamron’s Internal Focusing (IF) system provides a much closer minimum focusing distance (MFD) throughout its entire focusing range. In addition, IF improves optical performance by minimising illumination loss at the corners of the image field, and helps to suppress other aberrations that become more troublesome at different focusing positions.
Ultrasonic Silent Drive (USD)
Tamron’s USD works with the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations that are produced by a ring called a ‘stator’. Energy from the vibrations is used to rotate an attached metallic ring known as the ‘rotor’. Piezoelectric ceramic, an element that produces ultrasonic vibrations when voltage of a specific frequency is applied is arranged in a ring formation on the stator. This electrode configuration of piezoelectric ceramic causes two ultrasonic vibrations to occur in the stator.
By effectively combining these two ultrasonic vibrations, it is possible to convert the energy from the vibrations that produced simple motion into energy known as ‘deflective travelling waves’, which then moves around the circumference (rotation direction) of the ring. With the USD, the friction between these deflective travelling waves created on the metallic surface of the stator and the surface of the rotor produce force, causing the rotor to rotate. The focusing ring lens, which is linked to the rotor, is thus moved, creating a fast and smooth auto-focus drive.
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Customer Reviews
The lens is also heavy, but not quite as heavy as it looks.
It can be used on full-frame (FX) cameras, but I've only tried it on APS-C (DX) cameras.
In the couple of weeks since I've had it I've swapped between a D80 and a D7000, so I'll review the optical performance against each camera. And yes, the performance is different. I'll only review it at the long (300mm) end, as this is what the majority of people are most interested in. As you'd expect, the lens seems a little better at the short end.
On the D80: for subjects at long distances, I was amazed at how sharp it was fully open (F5.6), and it was even a little sharper at F11. However, closer in was much less impressive. Between 5m-20m, a critical distance for pictures of small birds, it was soft at F5.6 and still fairly soft at F11. Very disappointing.
On the D7000: I did some test shots, and found it was back-focusing. I dialed this out using the D7000 lens micro adjust feature (-7, but this is a compromise as it doesn't behave completely consistently at all distances), and the lens is performing much better. Its distance performance is again excellent at all apertures. Its near performance still doesn't match its performance towards infinity, but it is now very good. However, I still don't trust it to consistently focus with complete accuracy on closer shots at F5.6. It's best to keep it at F11, where it's excellent.
VC (the Tamron version of VR) really is fantastic. When it locks on, the image is pretty much frozen in your viewfinder. Much better than my Nikon 55-200.
The lens focuses pretty quickly. I'm getting a much better hit rate for birds in flight than I got using the Nikon 55-200 VR. If you're thinking of upgrading from the Nikon 55-200 (like me) the focusing speed alone means you should.
Images are very snappy - colourful and contrasty.
I'm finding it hard to rate this sample of the lens. On the D80, for bird pictures I'd give it 3*, but 5* if you wanted to take pictures of aircraft. It's undoubtedly 5* on the D7000 after adjustment. It's imperfect, but I think it's still very good for the price.
5 year guarantee: If you live in the UK check that the lens is from an official UK stockist. I queried the Tamron website before purchasing, who forwarded the query to Intro 2020. I quote 'Tamron lenses purchased from official UK Tamron stockists are eligible for a 5 year warranty, which is supplied by Intro 2020'.
UPDATE
I've had the lens for a little over 3 months now, and I'm very pleased with it - I've taken lots of sharp shots at 300mm at distances of 2-20m (on the D7000). The in-camera micro adjustment has resolved the back-focusing on this sample. It's my favourite home turf walk-about lens.
The lens comes with a very large lens hood, which can be attached to the lens in reverse for storage. But you can't operate the zoom with the hood reversed because it's so massive. I just leave the hood at home now, as I've not had any flair issues. Well, except when I was pointing at the sun at sunset, and the hood wouldn't have fixed that.
The VC on this lens is much more impressive in tests than actual use, and I hardly use it now. It takes a second or so to settle, and then clonks in with a shudder. Unless the subject is motionless, it's far more likely to ruin an image than to help. I also think that this technology is being made redundant by improved high ISO performance.
Anyway, I read good things about the Tamron, was doing some kit upgrading and decided to give this a go. I've now tried it on a 7D, 50D and 20D and it has worked impeccably, with no adjustment required, on all three bodies. Colours and contrast are very good indeed. Not just for the price, but for a 70-300 zoom in general!
The good: AF is fast and quiet - very similar in performance to a USM L lens, and streets ahead of Canon's 70-300 IS (non L). Full time manual focusing is implemented too - you can turn the AF ring at any time without having to disengage the AF mechanism. Focusing is also internal - nothing rotates on the lens body. There's a distance scale too, which the Canon doesn't have. Image resolution is impressive at all focal lengths. 300mm is perhaps slightly less sharp than 250mm down is but it's not like most other "consumer" 70-300 models - this time the 300mm images are actually very good, even at f5.6. In fact stopping down, whilst it does improve sharpness, doesn't make a huge difference. Chromatic Aberrations are very well controlled. I've seen minor fringing on some highlight edges but it's very thin indeed. The "bokeh" (i hate that term but it's the one people know) is very nice indeed and so natural looking you take it for granted. By comparison, backgrounds from the Canon model are "jittery" and messy. VC works well and also doesn't need switching to mode 2 for panning like the Canon does. I managed to get a usable shot at 1/8s in testing. This wouldn't be 100% repeatable but 1/30 is easily achievable for the steady of hand. It's well balanced - it's VERY easy to hand hold this lens on any of my bodies. It just seems to sit "right". Finally, the price: brilliant and I'm still not sure how they've done it! (not complaining, mind)
The "bad": The AF ring is close to the camera body. This CAN result in out of focus shots if you accidentally catch it. However it's actually nicer to hold further down the barrel so hasn't been an issue for me yet. VC can jerk a bit on engage and disengage, and can sometimes sway a little if you hold it too steady! It's something that happens occasionally rather than all the time though. AF can be a bit uncertain at the "lock on" stage. Initially I thought it was the VC jumping a bit but it's actually the AF shunting slightly. Again, doesn't always happen and is more likely in low light - just be aware of it really.
On a few of my lenses i've had to use the Microadjust of the 7D and 50D to get AF to be spot on. I was worried that the Tamron may be problematic given it's price and might cause issues on the 20D (which my son uses - this lens is mainly for him). It has needed 0 adjustment on either of the bodies that can do it and has proved on many test shots now taken to be dead on with the 20D. I've also tried it with a Kenko 1.4x converter and results were much better than I was expecting. More testing to do with that combo yet though....
If you buy one of these and results aren't what you expected (ie soft images) there are a few things that might be wrong. 1: Your technique MAY be off - 300mm requires careful handling. 2: AF may be out of adjustment - try MA if the camera supports it or send it back for a replacement / fix. It really should be good at 300! 3: There may be a build error (ie misalignment)in your lens. Again, send it back for replacement or adjustment. It looks like I got a good one at first try, thankfully, but lenses do suffer build variations - check it out thoroughly on receiving it!
For the record, the Canon 70-300 isn't horrible, in fact it's quite sharp under 200mm and the 300mm end is OK if the subject is fairly close. But it really doesn't get close to the Tamron on any level, in my experience, and I have no hesitation in recommending anyone considering a lens of this type to either stump up for the Canon 70-300 "L" (over £1000) or get this for a third of the price but with performance that is almost in the same league as the "L".
What i would like to point out is about the warranty issues other buyers have mentioned.
This lens IS eligable for the extended 5 year warranty.
When i tried to apply online it said my lens was sourced from another country and i couldnt complete the form.
I found out it was also sourced from France, but all was not lost.
I rang Tamron and explained, and was told it was eligable for the 5 yr warranty and it was just a problem with the online form.
What you have to do is go to the Tamron website, click the 5yr warranty link and scroll down until you get to the download form link near the bottom of the page, print it out, fill it in, and send it off and your lens is covered!
I have one for Nikon and one for my canon and I tell every single person that they... Read more
The build quality feels sturdy. Read more
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