TAMRON 50-400mm | WATCH THIS before buying the lens

Summary

In this video, a landscape photographer reviews the Tamron 50-400mm lens, using it during a trip to the Arctic. The lens' versatility is highlighted, with the ability to cover wide landscapes and zoom in on wildlife, like reindeer and polar bears. Despite its great image stabilization and sharpness, the lens has limitations, especially for serious wildlife photography due to its inability to use a 2x extender. The photographer compares it to the Sony 100-400mm lens, concluding that while the Tamron is a great all-around choice for landscape photography, it may not be the best for high-end wildlife work. The video includes real-world shooting examples and a review of image quality.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Tamron 50-400mm lens is a versatile lens that can cover everything from 16mm to 400mm, making it a great all-in-one solution for landscape and wildlife photography.
• 😀 The lens is particularly valuable for landscape photography due to its extra 50mm in the wide end compared to similar lenses, like the Sony 100-400mm.
• 😀 One key downside of the Tamron 50-400mm is that it doesn't work with a 2x extender, which limits its use for certain wildlife photography scenarios where longer focal lengths are needed.
• 😀 The lens offers great image quality, but chromatic aberration and vignette effects are noticeable in certain conditions, though these can be fixed in post-processing.
• 😀 Autofocus performance with the Tamron 50-400mm is solid for wildlife photography, though it may not be as fast or precise as some dedicated wildlife lenses.
• 😀 While the lens doesn't come with a lens collar, it is possible to buy one separately, which helps balance the camera setup on a tripod.
• 😀 The Tamron 50-400mm lens performs well in low-light conditions and with landscape photography, offering good stabilization up to 400mm.
• 😀 Image stabilization is effective for most conditions, but there can be some individual variation in how well it works for different users.
• 😀 For wildlife photography, the Tamron 50-400mm is suitable for general use, but for serious wildlife photographers, a dedicated lens might be more appropriate.
• 😀 The Tamron 50-400mm lens is more affordable than the Sony 100-400mm, making it a good option for photographers who want to balance price and quality for landscape photography.
• 😀 Overall, the Tamron 50-400mm is highly recommended for landscape photographers due to its versatility and affordable price, while for wildlife photographers, it is good but may not replace a more specialized lens.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on a review of the Tamron 50-400mm telephoto zoom lens, specifically its performance for landscape and wildlife photography during a trip to the Arctic. The review also includes comparisons with the Sony 100-400mm lens.

What makes the Tamron 50-400mm lens stand out for the reviewer?

The Tamron 50-400mm lens is praised for its versatility, reducing the need for multiple lenses by covering focal lengths from 50mm to 400mm, which is ideal for landscape and wildlife photography.

Why does the reviewer prefer the Tamron 50-400mm lens over the Sony 100-400mm for their Arctic trip?

The reviewer values the Tamron lens for its broader focal range, which allowed for flexibility when photographing both wide landscapes and distant wildlife. The 50-400mm range offered more convenience than carrying multiple lenses.

What drawback does the reviewer note about the Tamron 50-400mm lens for wildlife photography?

The reviewer highlights that the Tamron lens is incompatible with a 2x extender, which limited its ability to capture distant wildlife effectively, especially polar bears. This led the reviewer to switch to the Sony 100-400mm lens for specific wildlife shots.

How does the reviewer feel about the image quality of the Tamron 50-400mm lens?

The reviewer reports that the image quality of the Tamron 50-400mm lens is generally great for landscape photography. However, they note some issues with chromatic aberration, slight softness when zooming in at 400mm, and vignetting, though these can be corrected in post-processing.

How does the reviewer assess the autofocus performance of the Tamron 50-400mm lens?

The reviewer finds the autofocus to be good for landscape photography, especially with wildlife focus priority on the Sony A7R5. However, they mention that for more complex wildlife shots, a dedicated wildlife lens may be preferable.

What issue did the reviewer encounter with vignetting when using the Tamron lens?

The reviewer encountered noticeable vignetting with the Tamron 50-400mm lens, particularly at certain apertures and focal lengths. This caused darkened corners and color shifts in images, which could be fixed with post-processing but was still seen as an annoyance.

What alternative gear did the reviewer consider for wildlife photography?

For wildlife photography, the reviewer considered using the Sony 100-400mm lens with a 2x extender, although the Tamron lens was preferred for general landscape photography due to its convenience and broader focal range.

Did the reviewer face any difficulties while photographing polar bears?

Yes, the reviewer found photographing polar bears challenging, especially when using the 100-400mm lens with a 2x extender. The polar bears were far away, and despite using stabilization and fast shutter speeds, achieving sharp images was difficult.

What did the reviewer learn about lens sharpness and aperture for landscape photography?

The reviewer learned that stopping down the aperture (e.g., to f/9) improves sharpness, especially when photographing distant subjects. They also noted that atmospheric distortion could affect sharpness, particularly in cold or warm conditions.