Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (6 Year Limited USA Warranty)

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I purchased this lens for use as a lower-cost telephoto for bird and wildlife photography. I had heard good things about the sharpness and image stabilization of this lens, although the focus speed was not said to be fantastic. I had not had great results from Tamron lenses in the past, but the word was that they had improved dramatically and that this lens was a great deal. I figured I would give it a shot. The first lens I got, new from a reputable vendor, was simply defective. The images were very soft and there was no range in which objects were in focus; everything from close to far was blurry. I returned it to the vendor for replacement. The replacement was not as terrible as the first, but it was still soft and had weird specular highlights, for lack of a better way to describe it. The glass elements clearly caused some distortion of the light, which became even more obvious when the images were cropped. The images were "passable" for someone who never crops and never prints large, but they were nowhere near as good as I had expected. The image stabilization is really very good, at least on stationary objects, although it uses up battery life rapidly. When I switched it to the mode for following moving objects, it did not perform as well, but perhaps this is due more to the lens slow autofocus. The autofocus is noisy and sounds more like an industrial machine rather than a piece of performance equipment, and it can not keep up with moving objects. It does even worse in less-than-stellar lighting. In the end I exchanged the replacement Tamron lens for a Canon 100-400mm, and when compared side-by-side at full zoom the images from the Canon 100-400 far exceed the quality from the Tamron 150-600. Although it costs a bit more and it doesnt have as much reach, I feel that the extra reach is wasted if the images are so soft that the detail is lost. Also, the Canon lens, while still hefty, is substantially lighter, and the autofocus is much faster and quieter. It also can focus much closer, making it more useful for macro photography, and its image stabilization is excellent. Also, despite being lighter in weight, the Canon actually feels more solidly built. The image below shows a side-by-side comparison of the moon taken with the replacement Tamron (not the defective one) and the Canon lens I finally settled on. These images were taken in the exact same circumstances a few days apart (which accounts for the change in the moons phase appearance). More details are visible, and sharper, with the Canon lens, despite it maxing out at 400mm rather than 600mm.

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So far I love this lens! But I must say that I have not yet attempted to shoot any fast moving objects yet. So I cannot comment on tracking ability. The lens is heavy, but not so bad that it hard to hold. The VC on this lens is amazing. I was able to photograph a duck swimming in the water while I was standing on a floating dock at 1/160th of a second at 400mm. Lens is super sharp, little vignetting. Very little chromatic aberration, but nothing that is of any concern. The Bokeh is buttery smooth. AF is fast and quiet. I will try to update when I get a chance to shoot fast moving objects.

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For what this lens offered at the price point, I was a little skeptical. This is a whole lot of feature to package into one product without sacrificing something major. I have shot exclusively with Canon L lenses in the past and really expect that sort of performance in my gear. I typically use a 400 f/2.8L or 600 f/4L for telephoto work, but I could not take these lenses on my recent Tanzania safari due to size and weight. That being said, I am extremely satisfied with the performance of this lens! The small aperature (f5-6.3) does take a while to get use to, but as long as you keep your shutter speed up, tack sharp images are achievable at long focal lengths. I shot pretty much wide open at 600mm the whole time. I even stacked my 2x Teleconverter on and manual focused in some situations with decent results. The images are a tad fuzzy, but perfectly suitable given the conditions. Photographing wildlife in the plains of the Serengeti from an open top Landcruiser requires some practice. There are endless obstacles (Serengeti means "sea of endless grass" for a reason) to disrupt the AF and constant breezes to shake the lens causing micro blurring. After some practice and set-up changes, the results just blew me away. Tack sharp images from close range to about 50-75 yards were easily obtained. Though you can get pretty close to some wildlife, the expanse of the African plains do keep many things out of range. The small aperature made quick AF on moving subjects difficult, but with more practice this may be achievable. Catching birds in flight is a challenge for slow lenses. That is about the only downside to this lens. Stable platform at 600mm is a must. I would love Tamron to make a straight f/4 or f/5.6 version of this lens at a higher price point.

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This truly large lens is very sharp, even at 600mm with a full frame sensor. Its a bit tricky to learn to use the lens because of the lens aperture, which requires a lot of light, or a high ISO and a low shutter speed. Highly recommended to use with a tripod for lower ISO shooting of stationary or slow-moving subjects. Not for indoor or night sports. Highly recommended.

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I really wanted to rent a Canon 600 mm lens for a bird shoot I was going on but when that proved next to impossible I changed course. While the Tamron is not as fast as the Canon lens, I could buy it for not much more than the rental would have been so I decided to go for it. The bird shoot turned out great and having the zoom was a big benefit as I could back off the zoom when the birds got close instead of switching cameras like I would have had have done with the Canon. I cant do a direct comparison with the Canon on sharpness but, comparing my images to those with the 600mm, I could not see a difference. Because of conditions, depth of field was pretty shallow for everyone so my edges may have been softer but you couldnt see it. The bad news - I was using a Canon 7D MK II and in brighter conditions the focus speed was fine. However we had some overcast days with tough lighting and the lens was noticeably slow to focus. The 600mm folks indicated they didnt have a big problem with focus but I would say I did. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase but wish the low light focus was faster. For shooting critters I would recommend this lens.

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Image quality is poor compared to my Canon 100 - 400. Worst thing is auto-focus. It is complete coin toss whether it will focus or not. For my Canon lens, I rarely loose an image due to focus issues. Have been shooting for a while, got steady hands, I know how to execute. This thing even on a stationary or slow target, rarely gives a sharp focused image. It also eats batteries like crazy. With my Canon lens on one battery I can shoot for whole day. This thing needs 3 of them. Part of me wants to return it. However, I am thinking I need to carry both lens. Just in case there is rare opportunity and I need the zoom. It may or may not be in focus but it is better to have a chance. Tamron always keeps the price reasonable, but overall this lens is just a back-up plan. Only use it if you have no other choice.

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I purchased the Canon version and a Sigma adapter to connect this lens to my Sony A7 mirrorless full frame. I love it! I can hand hold it at 600mm, but its not my favorite thing to do....I bet have of the pictures are too blurry to call decent. So anything over 400mm I tripod. The way my setup is, auto focus is worthless. The Sony has a great manual focus feature and Ive gotten pretty fast at it. Not sure if I am bird in flight fast, but when my kids are running track and field I can get them running by with a couple of attempts. So-so results indoor. Ive tried it at swim meets, and its OK. Make no mistake, it is a beast to lug around. Its heavy and large enough to be cumbersome. Add in that I like to have it on a tripod it quickly becomes too much to hike long distances with. Id totally still buy it though! I like up close photography, and that 600mm really allows you to get close at a moderate distance. Added thing to be aware of...people see it and my kids sporting events and assume I am a newspaper photographer or something. Youll get so many comments, youd better think up a few snappy replies. My favorite has been "Yeah I know, I am just overcompensating" lol

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Excellent lens. I shoot mainly fast action daylight -- kids sports and airshow/motor sports. Does not perform well for me in low light. Some minor Chromatic Aberration under certain circumstances, fixed easily in post. Focus ring is clockwise on this lens and counter clockwise on Canon, makes shooting dual bodies a little challenging. Focus ring is still stiff after a few months of use. Beast is heavy too, invest in a good shoulder strap.

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I love this lens. I have gotten good results by handholding on birds in flight and stationary. Pictures are sharp and colors are true. Would highly recommend this lens to anyone.

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This isnt a lens youd want to carry around all day- but it is great for getting tight shots or get in on the action from far away, without being in the way. Although you lose some aperture as you zoom, it still takes amazing shots. Very sharp and highly recommended

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