The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III may be a new combat a pro-level, constant-aperture telephoto zoom. The focal distance may be a bit shorter than the standard 70-200mm, but Tamron’s goal was to form a well-balanced lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras, which focused the company’s attention on reduced size and weight. Currently available for Sony E mount, the $1,199 Tamron is a smaller amount than half the worth and just over half the load of Sony’s FE 70-200mm f/2.8.
So it must not be any good, right?
Wrong. I don’t know what witchcraft went into making it, but the 70-180mm is, quite simply, magnificent. this is often by no means a typical budget lens. Tamron made a few of sacrifices — cutting 20mm off the telephoto end and forgoing optical image stabilization — to form weight, but I’d argue those were smart decisions and well worthwhile . The optical performance is top-notch. Attached to a Sony A7R IV, on loan from Lensrentals for this review, i used to be very impressed with the detail the 70-180mm gave me — a minimum of , under the proper conditions.
But can a cheap third-party lens compete with Sony’s best? the solution is, as always, it depends — but I don’t think it really must . quite an alternate , the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 may be a lifeline to photographers who, thanks to cost, would haven't considered the Sony lens within the first place.
Design and handling
If you’ve ever shot a full-frame 70-200mm f/2.8 before, be it for DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, you'll be immediately stunned by the design and feel of the Tamron 70-180mm. It seems like it’s during a completely different class, weighing just 1.8 pounds, an almost unbelievable difference compared to the three .3-pound Sony 70-200mm.
Unlike most 70-200mm lenses, including Sony’s, the Tamron doesn't use an indoor zoom mechanism, therefore the barrel extends as you concentrate . This makes it feel less “professional” than its first-party counterpart, but it also means the lens measures slightly below 6 inches long when retracted — 2 inches shorter than the Sony. And even with the extending zoom barrel, it remains weather-sealed.
The shorter length and lighter weight negate the necessity for a tripod ring, which helps keep the profile as slim because it is. The very wide rubberized grip gives your hand a solid purchase on the zoom ring, and that i actually like that it's ahead of the manual focus ring (opposite of Sony’s lenses) as that placement made for a cushty , balanced hold. For its part, the main target ring feels very smooth and provides a satisfying manual focus experience, albeit it's not mechanically linked to the focusing elements.
And, yes, you'll actually want to use that manual focus ring. The Tamron 70-180mm features a unique 1:2 macro mode, but it only works with manual focus and at 70mm. The difference in minimum focus distance between auto and manual focus is big, and therefore the extreme close-ups possible in macro mode are unlike the other f/2.8 telephoto zoom that I’m conscious of .
Other than the lock switch, which holds the barrel at 70mm when the lens isn't in use, the outside is sparse. Where the Sony 70-200mm is suffering from switches to regulate focus and stabilization behavior, the Tamron 70-180mm is blank. the shortage of stabilization explains a part of this, but i might have appreciated an auto/manual focus switch, especially as manual focus are some things you’ll actually want to use on this lens for the aforementioned macro mode. to interact manual focus, you instead need to roll in the hay through the camera’s menu, which may be a little annoying.
Images Quality
If all the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 did was decrease the value and size of a well-liked sort of lens, that might are enough. That is, in fact, exactly what i might have expected of old Tamron. But this is often new Tamron, and new Tamron isn't content to be a third-string player within the lens game.
The 70-180mm f/2.8 features six low dispersion elements, three aspherical elements, and nine rounded aperture blades. this is often not the sort of optical formula I expect on such a reasonable lens, although it's down on the entire number of elements compared to Sony with 19 versus 23 (the Sony also uses an 11-blade aperture).
Of course, the amount of high-end elements doesn’t always equate to high performance, but during this case, Tamron has delivered. Although there are some caveats I’ll get to, this lens is remarkably sharp. It produced excellent leads to my test photos, revealing details in textures I hadn’t seen before. This was, of course, aided by the 62-megapixel sensor on the Sony A7R IV, and that i do believe this lens comes on the brink of revealing that sensor’s potential. More megapixels will reveal lens imperfections, therefore the incontrovertible fact that the Tamron shines on the A7R IV may be a testament to its quality.
Wide-open, you'll expect excellent sharpness within the center of the frame. However, at 70mm, sharpness falls off noticeably toward the sides . this is often far less of a drag at 180mm. By f/5.6, the image is extremely sharp from edge to edge at any focal distance . Vignetting is minimal and essentially gone f/4, although overall transmission at the telephoto end at f/2.8 is about 1/3 stop less than at the wide end, because the “vignette” seems to creep across the whole frame.
To truly cash in of this lens’s sharpness consistently, you've got to use a high shutter speed, tripod, or both. Many of my handheld shots came out slightly soft thanks to motion blur, even with the camera’s in-body stabilization. this is often where additional lens-based stabilization would have helped. for a few photographers, particularly for weddings and even shooters who got to be ready to add low light and use slower shutter speeds, this might be a deal-breaker.
However, the A7R IV reveals faults unlike the other full-frame camera and is incredibly unforgiving. On a lower-resolution body, like the A7 III, motion blur won’t be as noticeable, but I’d still recommend a tripod (and f/4 or smaller) once you want to ensure the simplest results.
Our take
Color me impressed — astonished, even. I absolutely love that Tamron decided to start out competing as a premium brand. The 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III strikes the right balance between quality, size, and price. this is often a rare example of a lens that I can recommend to only about anyone, from the amateur, to the enthusiast, to even the professional.I was a touch disappointed that numerous of my handheld shots weren’t perfectly sharp, but I could likely have solved this by raising my ISO and shutter speed a stop. the maximum amount as i might wish to see lens-based stabilization, I also appreciate how lightweight and affordable the 70-180mm is. Again, i feel Tamron made the proper sacrifices.
0 Comments