Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

wildlife photos, it is a little heavy but thats what tripods are for

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

As a beggining bird photographer I thought this would help get me in range of some good birds without breaking the bank. Boy am I glad I picked this lens.

This lens may not get you the shots that a 500mm lens will, but it will get you just as good of shots as a comparable 70-300mm Nikon or Cannon Lens will.

The only problem I have been having is the focus is a little slow, but this may also be a problem with my camera not picking out the right object in the frame. The Image Stabilization is amazing and really helps take some nice crisp photos.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I bought this to replace the much cheaper version of the 70-300 tamron and am quite happy with it.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

After reading a ton of reviews on this lens I decided to order one and give it a try. Complete waste of time and money!! In mid day harsh sunlight the lens actually performs OK. It's far from tack sharp but for getting that soft glamour look in the middle of the day, it's pretty good.HOWEVER!!Auto Focus is HORRIBLE! Slow, Inaccurate and even when you think you got the shot... Nope! I took 18 shots of a Red Fox from between 180-300mm in the early evening with great light and not one of them were usable! I quickly switched to my Canon EF-S 55-250 and nailed 25 more! 23 out of that 25 were spot on! And it's a[$]lens!!Lastly... The VC on this lens is nothing less than weird!! It seems to work OK but it takes some getting used to. It's really jumpy and in live view on a tripod a still image moves around the LCD like it's alive. While shooting the last full moon it was like watching a video of the moon because it moved around the LCD SO much using the 10 second self-timer. Not one usable image from that night either until I mounted the Canon glass. Once again middle of the road Canon glass out performed this lens!

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Use with 60D, very sharp, instant focus, "iron grip" stabiliser, manual focus very usful, a bit bigger than Canon 70-300, but lettting in more light and overall better by far.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I use this lens for closeups of birds,flowers,people and buildings(pretty much everything)

I've had it for about five months and I love the clarity of the photos!

I rented a Canon 100-400 and I like the Tamron WAYYYYY better. The Canon's push/pull zoom was very awkward and it was extremely heavy. It's easier to get a clear shot with the Tamron because of the huge weight difference. The image clarity is pretty similar, but I think the Tamron may be a little bit better.

AF is a tad bit slow, but I have no issues with it.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I use this lens for landscape photography and to shoot my grandsons' sports. Photos are sharp and clear and the vibration compensation allows for hand held shots in most situations. The quality of the photos taken with this lens is equal to the photos I get with my Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens (at about one half the price).

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Purchased as an upgrade from the Canon 75-300mm. Big improvement.

Images seem fairly sharp straight out of camera. I have not processed any yet. but the RAW files look sharp. Image stabilizer seems to work well, I took some good test shots handheld at 300mm. Zoom and focus rings feel good. Autofocus is fast.

This is a bulky lens. It won't fit in my son's camera bag very well and barely fits in mine. But we're OK with that!

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

bought it to fill my void between 135mm and 400mm
and needed something before spring. Not as crisp as I'd like but couldn't afford crisp yet.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Haven't had too many opportunities to use as I've only had a few days. So far I've used it for some night shots of the moon and a few pics of Mt. Fuji from a distance. I am impressed with the lens; it feels good on the camera and performs remarkably. The VC works well, definately can tell when it engages when zoomed in all the way. The focus is quick and accurate. It performs well in both low light and day light.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I bought this lens to replace my Canon 75-300mm budget lens. My Canon had no extras at all- the cheapest one you could buy. I was really expecting to see a major improvement and better picture quality. I honestly did not notice much improvement. The pictures were extremely compressed and the focus was slow. When you did get a picture focused properly, they were pretty sharp, but a picture with the slightest amount of motion would be blurry even with the VC on. The motor was loud and the focus would go back & forth several times before locking on. The lens was MUCH bigger and heavier then my old Canon and longer. It seemed that in side the house I would have to have to ISO at 1600 (with all the lights on)just to get a picture and even then it needed the flash or it would either be too dark or you would have to have the shutter speed so low that you would get blurring. I ended up sending it back and purchasing the upgraded Canon 70-300mm with the IS & USM. Finally got it, and am much happier with it. I guess it was not the lens for me. I really don't think the Tamron was worth the savings. Just my opinion!

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I am using the Tamron 70-300 VC USD lens with Canon 60D and am totally dissatisfied with the results. I did give the lens to the service center. They returned it "repaired" however the new results are no different. Have not been able to get any sharpness in the photos. I also face the problem where it keeps hunting for focus. I have to manually adjust the distance and then let the autofocus work

I am really disappointed and feel as though I Have wasted approx $600 on the lens.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I'm using this on a Canon 60D and so far it works great except for a couple little niggles, when zooming it sticks a little right about the 200mm mark and I'm hoping that will go away with more use and the soft focus on the long end, I shoot mostly the moon, aircraft and a few birds and it helps to back off a few MMs or stop it down for a sharper image. It has no creeping problems and feels well built. I like how the IS locks on target when focusing, which by the way, is very quick even in most low light situations. The weight isn't any worse than some other lenses I've owned although it's pretty heavy. I haven't had a chance to use it a great deal but enough to know it's a keeper, especially for the price. To top it off it had a $50 rebate. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced telephoto zoom.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Excellent lens for its price. Same or better than some original/brand name lenses. Very happy with the purchase. Third Tamron lens owned, including 90mm macro, which is another excellent lens.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Wow, this thing is significantly better than the Canon 55-250 IS it replaced. I get great sharpness, even at 300, although I have to stop down a bit (f/11) at the widest end for great results. This thing is big and heavy, which I have come to like. Excellent FTM USM-style autofocus. Better than I expected. I realize that the Canon 70-200 f/4 IS is sharper and has weather sealing, but this Tamron lens is the best value lens I've ever come across. By the way, I'm an enthusiast and using it with a Canon 60D. I shoot wildlife and landscapes, mostly.

I encourage everyone to stop pixel peeping online and find a great lens that you enjoy to shoot with that also gives you results that you need. I print up to A3+ and this lens has been great. Another zoom I enjoy is the Canon 15-85 IS, and I will even admit that it offers no real IQ advantage over the kit 18-55 IS! But it's great to shoot with in tricky conditions. The combination of the Canon 15-85, Tamron 70-300 VC, and Canon 50 f/1.8 really has done a lot for me. Get this Tamron and enjoy shooting with it!

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I was deciding between the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and this lens. I had my concern with Tamron due to it's well-known likelihood to front-focus. But a lens review site comparing the sharpness and contrast between these 2 lens suggests that the Tamron may be a tad sharper then the Canon counterpart. So I decided to take the risk and went for the Tamron.My first impression right out of the box is it is surprisingly sturdy with little play in the zoom ring and the telescopic shaft. In fact, I found the zoom ring alittle too 'stiff' for quick zooms. That means, so far there's no zoom-creep... But things might change after prolonged use... As for the manual focus ring, it is buttery smooth just like most of the high-end Canon USM lens.I use this lens mainly for wildlife and child candid portraits, which works really really well! Color is natural, contrast is good, and most importantly, focus is fast, precise, consistent and silent! Tamron's ultrasonic silent drive (USD) truely lives up to its name. It's vibration compensation (VC) works well too, although it does let out a very distinct 'click' when you half-press the shutter (starting the accelerometer?), and after you let go of the shutter (shutting down accelerometer?). In my opinion, the 'click' is louder than what you would hear in Canon's IS lenses, but it doesn't quite bother me very much since I don't do video.Bottom-line I feel is that this lens is great for casual photographers like me. Construction is very good and certainly doesn't feel cheap. This lens will work very well for people who like to do candid portraits and wildlife photography, where you will/need to keep a distance from your subject to capture their natural expressions/behaviors. Is it as sharp as a Canon L-glass? Or as sharp as my Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM? Of course not, but it is still very very good... especially when it only set you back by just [$]! It's alot of lens for little money!

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I shoot video and still images for a professional baseball team and when I need to get the close-up shot from the far end on top of the dug out this gets me a clear close up of the player. Fair in price, just wish the F-stop was lower, but ...it is a 70-300mm and I did get is for [$], so I not mad, I'm happy about this purchase. Tamron makes my wallet happy and my stock equipment have a nice professional feel.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I have not been impressed with non-OEM lenses in the past but this Tamron changed my mind. I shot a college homecoming parade (on a sunny, autumn day) and was very pleased with the sharpness and vibrant color. I also shot some senior pictures outdoors with fill-flash and indoor with strobes. Beautiful detail and lovely control of depth of field. This is not a fast lens and even with VC, low light means tripod and/or strobes for best focus. Sharpness suffers a bit when the aperture is wide open, but that's not uncommon. The auto-focus is fast, so make sure your intended point of focus matches what the lens chooses to focus on! I shot some video with my 7D and it looks great. This lens is fun to use.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

Works well with my T2i. Gets me up close.

Comments about Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLRs & 35mm Film Cameras:

I've hit the age where I can't hold a non-IS lens as steady as I used to, and I therefore needed to replace my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L-Series lens (which I loved). Since I couldn't afford the Canon L-Series with IS, I did the research and decided to give the Tamron lens a try. I will be keeping it.

Is it as tack-sharp as the Canon? No. But it's way above what I would expect in this price range, with nice contrast to boot. What I really like, however, is that the IS "snaps" into place. I've read other reviews where this is considered a negative. It's certainly not subtle, but frankly I like it. There is no doubt about whether the stabilization is engaged. This lens helps me continue to shoot at ISO 100 or 200.

Negatives? Minor really, but it is going to take me forever to get used to zooming by rotating the lens clockwise (opposite of the Canon lenses). I also was in the habit of keeping my lens hood on the lens (reversed) when I didn't need it. You can't do that with the Tamron because a reversed lens hood blocks access to the zooming ring. Finally, no one would describe this lens as light weight. But then, a light weight 70-300mm zoom would require too many compromises to image quality. It's within an ounce or two of the Canon that I was using, so I haven't appreciably changed the weight of my camera bag.

Again, none of the above negatives affect image quality. For the money I am delighted with this lens. The photo snob in me would still like to have the optically highest rated piece of glass, but the realist in me says that my naked eye can't really see much of a difference. And since the image stabilization allows me to shoot at lower ISO's on more photos, total image quality has been improved.