Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD

Has anyone gotten there hands on one of these and can give a review??

Been waiting since February (B&H) pre-order. Looking to use this on upcoming Greenland and Arctic cruises for nature (birds and bears).

Mark Goldstein did a review of this lens on Photography Blog.

On the B&H site, there are 66 reviews for this lens.

Hope this helps.

I got you beat! I've had it on pre-order since December 2013! I don't expect I'll see my version until fall this year...you can find a fair number of sample shots from Canon shooters who got the lens first over on dpreview forums...looks pretty solid, other than some early bugs full-frame Canon shooters had with the continuous focus on their camera bodies - it didn't seem to carry over to all other bodies and early Nikon shooters who have gotten a hold of the lens haven't mentioned any issues.

I sold my Tamron 200-500mm in early January in anticipation of having this new lens, which at the time was being touted with a Jan 17, 2014 release date in all mounts...only the Canon mount ended up coming and the other two mounts went to undetermined dates. Nikon mount is trickling out now, Europe & Asia first...Sony mount to follow in Japan in July, which probably means Aug/Sep at the earliest in the states.

Have to make due with my 300mm F4 and 1.4x TC until the new Tamron arrives.

Has anyone gotten there hands on one of these and can give a review??

Been waiting since February (B&H) pre-order. Looking to use this on upcoming Greenland and Arctic cruises for nature (birds and bears).

The problem w this lens for wildlife and especially for bird photography is that it is a very slow lens. Bird photography requires a fast shutter speed and to do it with this lens will require a high ISO.

You should investigate faster lenses maybe with a shorter zoom lens or used faster prime lenses.

Another thought if you want it just for your AK trip is to rent.

DON

The problem w this lens for wildlife and especially for bird photography is that it is a very slow lens. Bird photography requires a fast shutter speed and to do it with this lens will require a high ISO.

 

You should investigate faster lenses maybe with a shorter zoom lens or used faster prime lenses.

 

Another thought if you want it just for your AK trip is to rent.

 

DON

Kinda hard to rent it when its just not available.

Kinda hard to rent it when its just not available.

I wasn't suggesting renting the Tamron since I do not feel that it is a really good for wildlife and especially bird photography. I was suggesting renting a better lens for the job.

DON

I actually just ordered this lens and am number 3 at the shop I ordered it from (Nikon Mount). From what I have seen the optics and performance have done well for wildlife/bird photography for Nikon cameras. There is a photographer from CT that has had a lot of success with it, his Flickr is: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coastalconn/ I know from following him on a few photography forums that he did do a AF micro adjust to squeeze out the most from his lens.

Now I'm not sure what mount and model of camera you use, but the F-stop will definitely hurt with light coming in and affect noise levels depending on ISO. However it is a 4 lb hand hold able lens that goes out to 600mm. Its a trade off...

Well pulling up this old thread just to note I finally got my hands on my lens last night (for Sony mount). I had experience with the 200-500mm Tamron, and for me at least, it wasn't as much of a compromise as others think - I'm blessed with a lot of light down here in Florida, so slower lenses aren't that much of a penalty...I normally shoot with a 300mm F4 as well, but really wanted the reach of the 600mm Tamron, in a package that can be easily handheld. The 150-600mm is beautifully built, very solid, smooth action, all rings nicely damped. Most important to me was usability at the 600mm end and F6.3, because honestly I'll be using the lens in that range probably more than 1/2 the time. I was limited to testing it last night upon arrival in failing light and only in my backyard, so it isn't a true test yet - but still let me get an idea how it will handle. The two shots below are with my A580 DSLR, handheld, F6.3, ISO1000 and 1600, and 600mm, shot in JPG, unedited from the camera...just wanted to make sure everything was aligned and focus was accurate, and nothing damaged in shipping:

Link to the original size (click on 'original' under the photo): http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/3702150612/photos/3020132/tamron-150-600-first-tests-001

original: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/3702150612/photos/3020133/tamron-150-600-first-tests-029

The squirrel was about 25 feet away. The knight anole lizard was about 30-35 feet up a tree, and the tree was about 20 feet away from me.

Not bad - looking forward to really testing this lens out in the 'real world' this weekend.

Sigma just announced their version of this lens, as well.

Indeed - it's nice to have some more choices in these focal lengths! The Sigma will be much bigger, much heavier, and quite a bit pricier. Don't know how it will compare optically, but I've always had very good experience with Tamron's long lenses, and this one seems to fulfill my needs very nicely at the long end. I own both Sigma and Tamron lenses, so I'm good with both - but I've had good experience with Tamron's long lenses and they are quite reasonably priced and sized for the performance, and that tends to make it an easier choice for me.