Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I HAVE THE A900 FROM SONY, AND FOR YEARS MY 70-210 BEER-CAN MINOLTA HAS MADE ME VERY HAPPY. I DECIDED I WANT A FASTER LENS… THE REVIEWS ARE VERY GOOD FOR THIS LENS, EVEN BEET THE CANON FOR SHARPNESS. I THOUGHT ABOUT AN OLD MINOLTA 70-210 2.8 BUT THE PRICE WAS STILL OUT OF MY REACH, SO I BOUGHT THE TAMRON. WOW! I AM VERY HAPPY. THIS FOCUSES JUST FINE FOR ME, AND THE BUILD QUALITY IS TOP NOTCH TOO. SO I GOT WHAT I WANTED, AND AT A GOOD PRICE. SOLD TWO PRINTS OFF THIS LENS AND ONLY HAD IT 4 DAYS.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I owned this lens in Canon mount but sold it due to financial needs. I was able to repurchase this lens in a Sony mount to use with my A500 and love the fact that it is image stabilized in the camera. The screw drive seems to focus faster than the micro motor in the Canon, but overall a very sharp 2.8 lens for an incredible price.
Here is where Tamron customer service goes above and beyond. My cat knocked this lens off the counter while the lens was in the bag and it landed on a concrete floor jamming the lens element so bad it would not focus or zoom. I wrote a letter to Tamron and sent in the lens and they called me personally to say they were going to repair it for free! I got the lens back in less than a week in perfect working order. I will be a Tamron customer for life, I own a 28-75 2.8 and a used 90mm macro and love their products. I did purchase this lens from BH and love this company as well. They know how to get it rite!

This lens does focus hunt in low light, fast moving situations so keep that in mind, but overall a very sharp lens in Sony mount that is not too heavy, with great image quality.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I purchased this lens for multiple use(s), but specifically for photographing indoor ice hockey events; to which this lens performs flawlessly!

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

Love this lens for the Price, Tamron has never let down. I also like this lens for shooting indoor sports such as Hockey, Basketball, Track&Field, Swimming. Nice fast lens with maintaining great depth.

This lens also works great in Outdoor events that I shoot at such as Marathons, Triathlons, and Bike Races.

Also a great lens to use for nice portrait shots!!

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

This lens is extremely sharp, I try to use at 5.6 as much as i can but when i need it i use at f2.8 for the low light, incredibly sharp, only downside is the autofocus is a bit slow when zoomed to 200mm but that is expected on an in camera drive system, the sony is obviously better but also 3x the cost, you cant go wrong with this lens since u can sell it for almost the same amount when u r ready for the sony :)

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I use this lens for sports photos. It is fantastic!! The pictures are amazing. The only downside is that the lens is heavy. I read this in the reviews and didn't worry about it but now I have tennis elbow from holding it. On my way to buy a tripod now.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I bought this lens to shoot my son's football team action pictures. I have used it for a week or so and am exetrmly happy with the results I am getting. The lens does have some weight and after a entire football game it can fill like a workout. But using a tripod is not an option for me. You can spend more on the Sony g series ( about a 1000.00 more). But, I would not recommend it until you really need to shell out that money... Hence daily pro shooting.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

This lens does not have the fastest autofocus in the world or the most best finish, but this lens is the best choice with respect to optical quality and price.

This lens should satisfy about 95% of requirements for making high-quality photos. The remaining 5% is reserved for those who like to pay 2 to 3 times more to get the same thing.

In life, we must make compromises. The purchase of this lens was one of the best. The Alpha full frame and this lens are a perfect couple to make great pictures.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

Very fast for capturing the racer's expressions during cycling races in the evening. The range also allows for capturing people as they are during public events without 'posing'.

The weight does require your attention or a monopod.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I had this lens before and used it on a Sony a100... sold it to help buy a Sony a700. I missed it, so I bought another one! This is a great lens!!! Especially on my new sony a55!

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

For the price of this lens, there really are no complaints. As to be expected it's a little on the heavy side and not quite as fast on the auto-focus as my primes but I really don't count that against it. Price compared to the Sony is a no brainer especially for the enthusiast. Tack sharp photos with great clarity, and no front/back focusing issues here. Wish I had better weather here so I could get out more with it, I'm craving spring just so I can use it more.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I ended up exchanging this lens for the Sony. For the money I think this lens is fine. I wanted better optics, and decided that because I'm using it for work to invest in the best. I found that the photo color was not as nice or as sharp as with the Sony lens. For every day use, non-professional use this lens will be fine, and is less than half of the Sony equivalent.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

It's heavy but all 2.8 70-200's are. The quality is great and alot cheaper than the sony version. 6 year warrenty helped make my decision as well. Super fast auto focus with my 15 point auto focus on my Alpha 33

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

So far used for taking photos of the kids and random still life. It is quite a heavy lens, so much so that i prefer to hold the lens than the a580 it is on, but not to terribly to take around in a backpack.

Quality seems quite reasonable and I have not noticed any awful failings as yet.

the AF hunts a little depending on conditions (bit noisy), but the 2.8 gives me a great advantage indoors, and I like the bokeh and depth of field it is producing. There may be limitations on sharpness as reported by others, but the colors are great and for my application and expected photo printing sizes this is acceptable to me. Now to get the kids playing sports indoors and see what it can do!

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

This lens has turned out to be the most used lens in my bag - This lens supplies superior quality - I first noticed it on flicker comparing photos vs lens and this one (lens)stood head and shoulders above others.....it has turned out, for me, not only great for Portraits but is good for sports shots as well.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

So far I have only taken about a hundred pictures with it. It has performed like a pro. Even hand held my photos are crisp and sharp. I am looking forward to using it for wildlife and sports photos. The focus time with my Sony DSLR A-350 is as fast as smaller lenses and the focus is sharp. The manual focus feature works well, although like any telephoto it is difficult to focus quickly. I didn't feel that the weight and size would be a problem, but after using it, it is fairly large and heavy, although it is well balanced with the camera attached. Probably any lens with this speed and clarity would be as cumbersome, so no real complaint. Hopefully I will be able to afford a fast wide angle in the near future and I am sure it will be a Tamron also. So far, I love the lens and would recommend it to others.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

We bought the lens to take photos of our daughter in the marching band and our son that plays hockey. It works great, lots of close ups and lets in plenty of light in ice rink.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I love this lens! While it is a little heavy (I agree with the others), you get use to that quickly because of the quality. I have already used the lens in my studio as well as at an outdoor soccer game. It worked great in both settings. A 2.8 zoom at this price is a deal.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

As a semi-pro/enthusiast I did not want to shell out the big bucks for the Sony "G" or the new Sigma version of this lens so I'm happy to say at half to 1/3 the cost this lens really does the job even better than I had expected.

This lens is very sharp at the ends of its focal range and not nearly as soft in the middle as I had been lead to believe based on a few professional reviews.

The lens is a little softer from f/2.8 to 3.2 as can be expected but still very usable even wide open. By f/4 and below it is as sharp as you could hope.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was how capable this lens is for close up / macro work. At a good working distance of about 3 feet this lens renders very sharp macro images; great for insect photography when you don't want to scare away your subject.

This lens does not have the bomb proof construction of some of the more expensive lenses in its class but it's still very well constructed and still has a very solid feel. Should not be a concern unless you photograph in very harsh conditions or just have a special desire for top notch construction.

Though I personally like the slide collar style AF/MF switch I have on occasion accidentally engaged it. Something that I'm sure I will adjust to in time.

Auto focus speed was not as slow as I had been told. Certainly not lightning fast but has not been an issue for me. The auto focus has also been acceptably accurate accept in very low light trying to focus on areas of low contrast. Should not be an issue with any cameras with a better phase detection based AF system.

The bokeh of this lens is right in line with the standards of modern lenses. In years past bokeh was a concern but these days it seems lens manufactures have figured out the winning formula to the point where I expect to see pleasant bokeh from any lens beyond a true budget lens and this lens is no different. Under reasonable conditions expect very pleasing bokeh both smooth type and Hollywood style.

I have not noticed anything worth mentioning about color which in a way is a good thing. This means that colors have been natural to a point where I did not need to pay any special attention in post processing.

I sited this lens as "light weight" in the pros/cons section. Of course weight is something that you can just look up in the specs sheet. This lens is clearly not light but it is very light for its class. It was also well balanced which is perhaps more important with a lens of this class. The tripod mount is also well placed and well designed though I shoot hand held 90% of the time.

I rate this lens a perfect 5 stars not because it's a perfect lens but because no more can be reasonably expected for a lens of its class at its price tag.

Comments about Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta SLR:

I Own/Raise/Breed champion show dogs and active hunting breeds of Retrievers, Pointers and Spaniels. And have 5 children under 11. We are an active family and have plenty of moments spent on the farm or in the woodlands that give great opportunities for photo opportunities.

I have quite an impressive collection of gear on the SONY/Minolta/KM and Canon lineup. I prefer my SONY/Minolta/KM gear more everyday. And this Lens is another reason..... I was going to spring for the SAL 70-200G. But, after much contemplation and lots of research, I opted for this lens. I was not disappointed. I'm not a fan of poor grainy High ISO cameras...Why spend so much money for the best equipment to take an artistic but requiring some time in "Photoshop" quality picture??? So for me its either good lighting conditions outdoors or great Flash Photography with proper ratios in studio. So this Lens was a good fit for me.

Tracking my pack of dogs running flat out in the field on a good sunny day or even overcast.... this lens was focusing fast enough to keep up and provided excellent action shots at f2.8 that were tack sharp. A few stops down to f4 and 5.6 revealed the same. Shooting directly into the subject with the sun behind them showed no CA, I'm sure I could cause it if I tried, but, in my situations...nothing.

And... the Wedding shoots I've done with this lens are absolutely remarkable. Its makes you sort of snicker devilishly like this is sort of a very well kept secret. Its obviously not, and the lens has developed a sort of legend status in the review world among all camera camps. It been referred to as almost a NIKON killer in one review I've read, only losing out because of a lack of SSM for that body. Well....

If you're not looking to capture a Jockey on a thoroughbred going 45MPH into the finish line from the spectators seats in the evening hours during a Brown out...... Well then thats why you buy an SSM lens and mount it on a High ISO body to take a long range shot thats wind up being artsy and exciting but ultimately grainy and requiring some time in Photoshop. ;-) IMHO, if you need to spend a lot of hours doctoring the shot and smoothing out the details....then why???

This lens is a great investment for the Alpha-bytes. And compliments any gadget bag very well along side the "CZ" and "G" lens. In fact with the Money saved here you can possibly invest on other things ALPHA.

;-)