Tamron SP AF 70-300mm 4-5.6 Di USD A-mount lens review by AVLB
 AVLB#45678 date: Mar-28-2021 | |
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| sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 55-300 (APSC only) KM 75-300 D Sony 70-400 SSM I |
| price paid: | £120 |
| positive: | Great build quality. Sharp. Good flare control. Good CA control with nice petal hood. Not too heavy. Almost silent when focusing. |
| negative: | No zoom lock |
| comment: | I was on the look out for a Sony 70-300 SSM, but I came across this lens by chance and after reading reviews on it decided this was as good as the Sony. When comparing prices, the Tamron clearly came out on top. My first one I bid on, I lost, but was lucky enough to come across another MINT condition lens and actually paid less than the one I lost the bid on! I was pleasantly surprised how good the lens feels on both my Sony A99 and Sony A68. I have not tried it yet on the A850, but as that is similar in weight to the A99, it should feel fine. My first test shots were on the A99 and even wide open at f4, the lens is really sharp, particularly in the centre. Stopping down, even half a stop cleans up any softness in the corners. I was really impressed. Colours as good as Minolta ones too. On the A68, I was also impressed that without any MFA, this lens is still sharp. Compared to the 55-300, this gets a lower overall rating on Dyxum, but my opinion is that it equals if not betters it. It certainly feels a superior build lens and sharpness is better. The less said about the KM 75-300, the better, as this really is an inferior lens to both the Sony and Tamron. Compared to the Sony 70-400 SSM, the Tamron really does hold its own and although the Sony has a slight edge on build and features, it does not really offer much more that being twice the weight. A day out with the long lenses in the future will almost certainly mean taking both the Sony 70-400 on the A99 and the Tamron 70-300 on either the A850, or the A68 |
rating summary
- total reviews: 55
- sharpness: 4.50
- color: 4.38
- build: 4.35
- distortion: 4.62
- flare control: 4.53
- overall: 4.47