For most photographers, the idea of a (relatively fast) lens that covers everything from 35mm to 150mm is a dream come true. Do Tamron lenses fulfill the dream?
Honestly, the second time I saw it Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD on B&H available for pre-order, I know I want one. In fact, for many years, if I was going to sketch out my dream lens, I really thought I would detail a lens with a variable focal length that ranges from 35mm to 150mm. Even then, I thought I’d write down the maximum aperture constant as f/2.8, so the fact that this Tamron lens has a maximum aperture of f/2 at the widest focal length has made sense. it’s even better. As long as it’s sharp enough and doesn’t get overly distorted, I’m ready to buy the lens right away. Admittedly one thing that I don’t consider could be an issue is the size and weight. I mean, it’s a Tamron lens, right? Of them 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III The light is amazing, the focus is pleasantly fast, and it’s pretty sharp. In short, the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 is heavy and large. So with all this said, is it worth it? For me, there are two options: will my lens already cover these focal lengths, or is it small and light enough for my partner to take with us when we travel?
Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of the lens, let’s first talk about the strengths of this lens. Its greatest strength can be summed up quickly, with just one hyphenated three-word phrase: “all-in-one”. Covers almost the entire focal length range of Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 The lens pairs with the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD, while also having a faster maximum aperture for part of its focal length range making it a very capable lens. power. Once you consider the better build quality, better functionality, the weight saved (it’s 185g lighter than the two older brothers put together) and the money saved ($100 cheaper). la compared to the two old brothers put together), it doesn’t even rise to debate, does it?
Quality build and handling
The build quality of the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 is astounding. Not to beat the build quality of Tamron’s other lenses (I think they’re pretty good – I liked the 70-180mm f/2.8 when I test drove it, and I love their 45mm f/1.8 on F100), but I forgot it was a Tamron lens because the build quality is so much better than other lenses I’ve held in hand, much less used. As for handling, it has pros and cons. The functionality is excellent; it might even be better than any other lens I own, including Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II (a review can be found this).
For as heavy as it is, it feels quite balanced when attached Sony a7 IV; However, it is a lot of weight to feel balanced. At 1,165 g, it’s heavier than the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II (1,045 g), so while it will save you a bit of weight over its two brothers combined, it it’s still pretty heavy. around. Given its long length, heavy weight, and lack of tripod collar, I was a little uncomfortable attaching it to a tripod to gauge sharpness. Also, like every lens I tested for Fstoppers, I shot it during the same hike in Hocking Hills to see how I liked it. I honestly think that more than any other lens I’ve tested, I find this one a bit difficult to carry around. Dimensions (89 mm in diameter and 158 mm in length) are not an issue and weight, while notable, is not a deal-breaker. I just found it quite uncomfortable to carry after going two or three miles.
Image sharpness and blur
The sharpness of this lens is as good as we’ve come to expect from recent Tamron lenses. As you’ll see in the sample images below, there’s not much to distinguish between the shots taken wide and the ones that are stopped at two stops. One thing that can be easily noticed is the texture, which is quite obvious. That is to say, while all of these samples were shot without lens correction enabled, after making lens corrections in Lightroom, vignetting was minimized, as well as sharpness. similarly strong distortion.
In all the examples below, the captured example is on the left and the example stops at two stops on the right.
At 35mm
At 50mm
At 85mm
At 150mm
What I Like
- All-in-one essence of 35-150mm lens with fast maximum aperture
- Focus speed is suitable for almost any situation. It nailed every hit, except testing it on my dog when it was running at full speed across the yard, where it only focused about 30-40% of the time.
- Build quality is second to none when it comes to third-party lenses
- Customize functions/buttons
What I don’t like
- Price. That’s a hefty price tag for a third-party lens.
- Size and weight. This seems to be expected given the dream lens-like characteristics, but my experience with Tamron lenses shows that I am ready for a surprisingly compact and lightweight lens.
Similar alternatives
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS (price: $1,398): I know very little about this lens and have never used it, nor do I know anyone who owns it. That said, from what I’ve read about it, it’s nice and sharp but seems pretty pricey for what it is.
Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (cost: $729): I got my hands on this lens last year (record can be found this), and I love it. Compared to the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 that I am reviewing here, it is 40 mm shorter (117 mm in length), weighs 576 g, which is half the weight and almost a third the cost. Although it has a dimmer maximum aperture, doesn’t build on the same level of sharpness, and doesn’t have the same level of sharpness, I would personally use this lens on the 35-150mm.
Epilogue
For me, it all depends on whether I’m willing to spend the money to buy the device. In other words, is the value of the gears worth the cost of the gears? It’s not sharpness, autofocus speed, maximum aperture or anything else. In this particular case, I never found myself buying this lens, and as such, I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone else. I took some pictures that I like and which I will include in my 2022 photo book? Yes. Is it convenient to have a 35mm up to 150mm focal length range in a lens with a reasonable maximum aperture? Yes, for sure. If someone frankly gave me this lens for free, would it take my place Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM and Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II in my pocket when I go on my next trip? No, it won’t. Honestly, if someone gave me this lens, I would probably give it to someone else. Out of all the images I took with this lens, 95% of them were taken at 35mm or around 150mm max and so I could only use existing lenses.
