In TCSTV’s latest Hands-On Review, Dave takes the Tamron 150-500mm lens on a trip to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary! Wildlife photography is the perfect way to test out this ultra-telephoto lens. Dave put this lens to the test with fast-flying birds, harsh sunlight, twitchy jackrabbits and more! Overall, Dave was pleased with the Tamron 150-500mm’s sharp shots, easy handling and surprising versatility!
The Tamron 150-500mm is an excellent lens for wildlife photography! You can get close, sharp images while staying safely and responsibly far away from animals. Or, in the case of Dave, when the animals are too scared to get close to you. Dave did find the lens to be a little heftier, weighing in at 2kg (4lb) and 20cm (8in) in length when fully retracted without the lens hood. Speaking of the lens hood, it comes with a rubber seal, so you can put it down face-first, without doing any damage to the plastic, which is a bonus.
The 150-500mm has a smooth zoom ring that makes it easy to move from 150 to 500 with one hand, so you can quickly capture a variety of subjects at different distances. If you’re planning to shoot at the same focal length, you can easily lock the zoom ring at any length. This is great if you want consistent shots or want to reproduce a specific shot.
There are also lots of switches on the 150-500mm, including three vibration control modes. Mode 1 is for general purpose stabilization, which prevents vibration from all directions, and you see this through the viewfinder. Mode 2 is for panning, such as following a bird flying or an animal walking, which won’t compensate for the actions made by you. Mode 3 is for framing priority, which will only stabilize at the moment of exposure and not through the viewfinder.
When using the Tamron 150-500mm, Dave greatly enjoyed the tripod collar as the straps attach to the side of the collar, making it so you can have both straps and a tripod attached at the same time. Dave also appreciated how versatile this lens is. From fauna to flora, Dave was able to take stunning wildlife photos at 500mm, then beautiful landscape photos at 150mm, plus, when focused down to 60cm (20in), he could get stunning detailed shots of flowers and other plants.
Of course, the Tamron 150-500mm has the latest and greatest in Auto Focus and very little chromatic aberration. Dave did find a bit of flaring in certain situations but overall was quite pleased with the sharpness and detail of the photos.
But enough reading! Check out TCSTV’s Tamron 150-500mm Hands-on Review below!!
For more info and to buy the Tamron 150-500mm, click here!
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Tamron 150-500mm f5.6-6.7 Di III VC VXD – Sony E
