Have questions - Rented the Tamron 150-600mm for the weekend

[badrano]

I picked up/rented the Tamron 150-600mm lens for my D7000 for the weekend. I want to try before I buy....just making sure I want to go with that lens.

I wandered off to a wildlife sanctuary today to try the lens out and saw a couple of things with the lens that I'm not sure if it is a problem and if anyone else has experienced these things.

1. The auto-focus locked up a couple of times and would not focus. It cleared up on its own after a tiny bit of time.
2. When looking through the eye piece, I saw see the "picture" move a little when the lens went to focus. I don't know if this had anything to do with the image stabilizer mechanism??? I only saw this a few times...not all the time. Is this normal?

Outside of these two things, I'm liking this lens After reading many reviews from Canon and Nikon users, it is possible to do hand held shots at 600, but it's tricky.

Tomorrow is another day...let's see what trouble I can get into

 

[greybeard34 6]

I had a Tamron 17-50 and did the "picture move" when the image stabilizer kicked in so, I'm thinking that that might be normal for Tamron. As for the Auto focus freezing up, that can't be a good thing.

 

[coastalconn]

The answer to #1 is yes. I'm sure Tamron will eventually have a firmware update to fix it. Mine locks up quite a bit on the D7100. The quickest way to resolve it is turn the camera off, take lens partially off and put it back on. I do this out of habit all the time now. It really seems to lock up randomly and I'm not sure why.

#2 is the VC kicking in and is totally normal.. Have you looked through my photostream on flickr? all the exif is there. For stationary birds I try to keep the shutter at 1/400th with VC on. For flying birds I keep the shutter at 1/1000th+ with VC off. With some practice you can go slower for stationary birds..

 

[badrano]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Kind of a shame that a brand new lens already has a minor issue with it, but then I can understand how Tamron wants to get the lens to market even if there are some minor glitches that don't happen all the timer.

If they do come out with a firmware update, how does one go about getting the update on to the lens?

 

[sscarmack]

Your not paying for a 600 2.8 or something extreme.

Your getting a lower end for a lower price. It's going to have flaws and not live up to everyone's standards.

Best thing you can do is learn what flaws it has and find ways to avoid them or trick them into working for you.

Same thing happened when I got a cheaper 2x Convertor. The image would jump everyone now and then after focusing.

I returned it and dropped $500 compared to $200 on a Nikon one. Haven't had any issues with it since.

Price vs quality

 

[coastalconn]

Your not paying for a 600 2.8 or something extreme.

Your getting a lower end for a lower price. It's going to have flaws and not live up to everyone's standards.

Best thing you can do is learn what flaws it has and find ways to avoid them or trick them into working for you.

Same thing happened when I got a cheaper 2x Convertor. The image would jump everyone now and then after focusing.

I returned it and dropped $500 compared to $200 on a Nikon one. Haven't had any issues with it since.

Price vs quality

Actually the lens has exceeded most people's standards for what a lens at this price point can do. I'm sure Tamron will address the problem just like they did with the Canon mount. I would actually question Nikon's Price VS quality with the whole D600 thing and selling a lens almost 3 times the price of the Tamron that only marginally performs better... Tamron should really be selling this lens for 1500-1800 compared to the competition and how it performs... just my humble opinion..

 

[badrano]

Did some googling and it seems that there is a known AF issue with the lens and that a firmware update may be available.

The particular lens that I rented was supposed to have been part of a shipment that Lens Rentals just received from Tamron so it would seem that it was a brand new lens. Interestingly, I guess, it doesn't have the updated firmware on it.

After using the lens for 2 days now, mostly wildlife (stationary and moving), I like what I see.

 

[480sparky40 39]

....Your getting a lower end for a lower price. It's going to have flaws and not live up to everyone's standards.......

Unfortunately, there are those (I call them Lens Snobs) that think the only lenses worth owning are the top of their class. If a lens isn't the best available (and most likely the most expensive as well), it's simply garbage regardless of its performance.

It's like me telling someone their Kia is worthless because it doesn't perform like my Ferrari.

If one has the financial means to walk around taking snapshots with $6k glass, good for them. But all I ask is they accept the fact that not everyone in the world has the ability to do the same.

BTW, this isn't meant as a post aimed at you, sscarmack, it's intended to be aimed at the photo community at large.



And congrats on your 1000 posts! :thumbsup:

 

[sscarmack]

WOO! 1000!!!! :cheers:



And I agree with you, I'm a lens snob. All I shot with are Nikon 2.8 or better.


HOWEVER, a huge however. I am on the waiting list for this lens. And I'm not ashamed of it one bit. Everything I've read and even seen from the results of those who have it show its a great lens and can get great results! So I'm broadening my horizons

But in the same breath, I'm not expecting the same results that I would if I spent 8k on 2.8, maybe? Who knows, not a big deal to me either way. If I had the 8k, I still would get this Tamron.

I don't need a 8k lens for what I want to do, I want this 150-600 bc it fits exactly in my means and my expectations.

I was using my 70-200 with a 2x convertor and using the D4's built in crop zoom and I was just overly disappointed with my results. I think this lens will be perfect

 

[badrano]

HOWEVER, a huge however. I am on the waiting list for this lens. And I'm not ashamed of it one bit. Everything I've read and even seen from the results of those who have it show its a great lens and can get great results! So I'm broadening my horizons

I will be posting some of the pics that I took over the weekend. Just haven't had the time to convert them from RAW yet.

 

[hamlet]

WOO! 1000!!!! :cheers:



And I agree with you, I'm a lens snob. All I shot with are Nikon 2.8 or better.


HOWEVER, a huge however. I am on the waiting list for this lens. And I'm not ashamed of it one bit. Everything I've read and even seen from the results of those who have it show its a great lens and can get great results! So I'm broadening my horizons

But in the same breath, I'm not expecting the same results that I would if I spent 8k on 2.8, maybe? Who knows, not a big deal to me either way. If I had the 8k, I still would get this Tamron.

I don't need a 8k lens for what I want to do, I want this 150-600 bc it fits exactly in my means and my expectations.

I was using my 70-200 with a 2x convertor and using the D4's built in crop zoom and I was just overly disappointed with my results. I think this lens will be perfect

Sigma is said to come out with their own version at photokina. Though i'm not sure if it will be more expensive or as affordable as the tamron version. But for $1000 this tamron is very hard to beat price/performance wise.

 

[coastalconn]

WOO! 1000!!!! :cheers:



And I agree with you, I'm a lens snob. All I shot with are Nikon 2.8 or better.


HOWEVER, a huge however. I am on the waiting list for this lens. And I'm not ashamed of it one bit. Everything I've read and even seen from the results of those who have it show its a great lens and can get great results! So I'm broadening my horizons

But in the same breath, I'm not expecting the same results that I would if I spent 8k on 2.8, maybe? Who knows, not a big deal to me either way. If I had the 8k, I still would get this Tamron.

I don't need a 8k lens for what I want to do, I want this 150-600 bc it fits exactly in my means and my expectations.

I was using my 70-200 with a 2x convertor and using the D4's built in crop zoom and I was just overly disappointed with my results. I think this lens will be perfect

The 2x on the 70-200 just doesn't do that lens justice, Basically you are giving up 30-40% sharpness to double your reach. I think the Tamron will do very well on the D4S since the pixel size is so large, it should be pretty forgiving. The pixel size on the D7100 is not forgiving at all. I've been trying to shoot my diving Ospreys at 1/2500th or 1/3200th if I have light to avoid pixel level blurring.. On another forum some people were saying it is as good as the 500 F4 and I told them to get real, lol. I'm pretty sure you will get better results with the Tamron than the 70-200+2x TC for sure!

 

[sscarmack]

WOO! 1000!!!! :cheers:


And I agree with you, I'm a lens snob. All I shot with are Nikon 2.8 or better........

The 2x on the 70-200 just doesn't do that lens justice, Basically you are giving up 30-40% sharpness to double your reach. I think the Tamron will do very well on the D4S since the pixel size is so large, it should be pretty forgiving. The pixel size on the D7100 is not forgiving at all. I've been trying to shoot my diving Ospreys at 1/2500th or 1/3200th if I have light to avoid pixel level blurring.. On another forum some people were saying it is as good as the 500 F4 and I told them to get real, lol. I'm pretty sure you will get better results with the Tamron than the 70-200+2x TC for sure!

Oh no, not a D4s just a D4. I used 's to give possession to the D4, you know "grammar", my fault lol.

But yeah, the 2x kills the 70-200. Sad day when I can barely get to 400mm at 5.6 and its just brutal. I have had zero luck getting any decent shots with that setup.

Now its just a waiting game, my buddy (who runs a camera shop) has NO idea when they are coming in.