New TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 - Tests.

ben_dmb

I have got these links from Tamron Canada representative this morning. They tested the new TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 on a Canon, but I guess we can expect the same results from the Nikon version.

http://www.dustinabbott.net/2014/01/tamron-sp-150-600mm-f5-6-3-di-vc-usd-review/

http://www.dustinabbott.net/2014/01/tamron-sp-150-600mm-f5-6-3-di-vc-usd-review/


http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0091009/photos/fotoreliq/12034060033/

Enjoy.

Photobug

Ben, the first link did not work but the 2nd one was fine. I ran my own search and found:

http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/01/in-depth-review-tamron-150-600-f5-6-3-vc/

ben_dmb

It seems that I cannot make it work, anyway Photobug got it. What is the most surprising with this lens is the price tag = $1,299 for Canon mount. If Dustin Abbot's review is to be trusted than this is just crazy cheap.

Photobug

The price at B&H is $1,069 for Canon or Nikon. You must be in Canada.

I just sold my Tamron 200-500mm last Thursday. Now I am thinking about do I buy the new Tamron 150-600mm one or go for the Nikon 300mm F4.

ben_dmb

That is the price posted by Tamron Canada. It is usually cheaper at dealers. I would still want to see the the tests on dxomark before purchasing it.

http://petapixel.com/2014/01/20/tamron-150-600mm-telezoom-shootout/

Photobug

Thanks for posting the Petapixel review. Not only do I want to see the DXOmark test results but the Popular Photography test results and usage comments.

Coastalconn

I've been following this lens for a long time. I pre-ordered it on 12/23 from Adorama so hopefully I am high up on the list. I'm surprised it has taken so long for someone to post about it on NR. I started a group on flickr a few weeks ago that already has 20+ images and several discussions.. http://www.flickr.com/groups/2470447@N21/ Also I'm surprised no one saw the lens rental blog yet. http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2014/01/tamron-150-600-telezoom-shootout

So far it has been getting very good reviews for the price and most are saying it is as sharp as the 400 F5.6 and the 100-400 at 400. Even though everyone in the Canon forums are saying all the reviewers have "soft" copies of the Canon lenses, that it can't be possible.. etc.. I expect to see the same reaction when it is available in the Nikon mount and tests start to show it is as good as the 80-400 AF-S..

michael66

@ben_dmb Thanks for clueing us in on this lens. I drooled over it all day, but the review just seemed to be to good to be true.

@Coastalconn Thanks for that side-by-side test link. It looks like the Tammy 150-600 is almost in the same league as the Canon lens. Since you've already ordered it, do you mind if I use you as a canary? You'll let us know if it lives up to its hype?

Coastalconn

@michael66, You and at least 100 people on my facebook page are patiently awaiting for me to receive the lens... I tried contacting Tamron to get an early version to no avail.. I'm guessing they know the lens is going to sell like crazy! I wish I knew a firm date for Nikon release... At least if it doesn't show up until April, It will be Osprey season so I will have many test subjects I will be comparing it to My Sigma 120-300 OS (first version) with 1.4x and 2x TC vs Sigma 150-500 OS on the D7100 and D300 and maybe my friends D600

manhattanboy

B&H lists "Expected availability: March 31 2014" for the Nikon version FYI.
I probably can't wait that long, but 600 is really really tempting!

Dredden85

@Coastalconn, I too hope you receive it soon. A fender-bender kept me away from pre-ordering. But I hope to be ready by April. I look forard to your comparisons.

michael66

@Coastalconn For now, I'm patient. heh Like I have a choice. I'm looking for a birder and a sports lens. The Tamron looks like it might be a great birder. In the meantime, the rental route might be a way to find what I want without a lot of costly mistakes. Could you suggest one of your Sigmas to try out?

Photobug

Coastalconn, thanks for posting the link to the Flicker review by Dustin. Enjoyed looking at some of the pictures taken with this lens.

Long review and extremely positive review. If I was a Canon user I would buy the Tamron instead of the Canon; nice comparison between the Canon and Tamron lens. He sure got my attention with his comment about the Nikon 80-400 at 400mm. Can't wait to see that comparison and if the Tamron matches the Nikon 80-400mm. Hopefully we will see those comparisons soon. They are suppose to start shipping the Nikon version this month even though B&H is now projecting March..

The old model was a good lens but this new replacement looks fantastic.

Cujo

This new 150-600mm Tamron lens is proving very hard to find

Has anyone managed to track down a Nikon fit version yet?

Photobug

The Nikon mount was delayed until April. Originally it was to ship middle of February. Don't know why it was delayed. The Canon mount was available in December.

PB_PM

Supply and demand is the likely cause. Most companies that ship products for different mounts do runs of lenses. So Tamron would make 5000+ Canon EF-Mount lenses, then stop and make 5000+ F mount lenses, stop, make 5000+ Sony A mount etc.

TriShooter

@Costalconn I am also a Tamron 200-500mm user as you may remember. The new Tammy 150-600mm looks great, especially the resolution. I am looking forward to your comments on how it feels carrying the extra weight, sharpness and contrast at 600mm vs the 200-500mm at 500mm which we know is razor sharp, and whether it focuses a little faster for BIF ----> Looks faster on this video done by Dustin on the Canon: Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD AF Speed Test

Thanks for being the front runner on this lens. I shoot birds for fun, not income, so a good lens at a moderate price is really good news. I hope the Tammy is spectacular, and trust your skill to get the max out of it.

Coastalconn

@TriShooter, I do remember The wait is driving me crazy. It's been 4 months and 3 days since I ordered it It does seem to address everything the Tamron 200-500 was lacking. This is still the best review I have seen to date.. http://www.sumeetmoghe.com/2014/02/field-testing-bigron-aka-tamron-150.html in case anyone missed it. The pictures in my flickr group really seem to be picking up lately too. Maybe people are getting used to the lens or more experienced photogs have received their copies?

Dredden85

@Coastalconn -Sumeet Moghe review is a great field review. To me, a fild test seems to carry more weight than MTF charts. His site is equally impressive. A minor car accident has kept from preordering a copy. Maybe next year. I am looking forward to seeing your results as you put your new Tammy though it paces. Hopefully you won't turn your self in to a wreck waiting for it!

jjb930

Any new information regarding a release date?

I am curious as to how this will perform on the D800. I recently purchased a D800 and I am in the market to upgrade my Nikon 70-300mm VR.

Originally I was considering the Nikon 300mm F4 with a 1.4x TC, but the sharpness of the Tamron (at least from sample images on Canon) seems like this lens could be a great deal.

Hans

Looks like the wait is over!
I just found this site which appears to show the long awaited lens has been released.
http://kakaku.com/camera/camera-lens/itemlist.aspx?pdf_ma=312

jjb930

I clicked the link on that page and used Google Translate in chrome. The 150-600 link says pre-launch reservation under the stock list. So maybe not released yet?

TriShooter

@Costalconn Thank for the great link to the field review by Sumeet Moghe. I am strongly considering this lens as well as it looks like a real gem.

The closest thing I have to this now is my Nikon 400mm F3.5 with a modified TC16 which fine tunes manual setting to achieve auto-focus and weights a ton, but is extremely sharp. My heart goes out to you on waiting for so many months so hope it comes in soon. I think you are going to love it.

jjb930

Very excited for this lens to come out. Pre-ordered it today from the local store. Thinking it will be a great replacement for my 70-300mm VR.

Photobug

Reference: Popular Photography reviewed this lens in the May 2014 issue, page 83. The SQF (subjective quality factor) values looked good and were rated Excellent at 150mm, 200mm and 300mm. In summary, they said, "Performance outstrips the closet comparable tele-zooms."

Light falloff was gone from the corners by F/5.6 at 150mm and F/8 by 600mm. At 300mmm, they found no detectable vignetting, a performance that tops all of the earlier tested tele-zoom at this focal length.

Their DxO Analyzer Version 5.3 test found pincushion distortion in the mid-slight range at all focal lengths, a significant improvement over the uniform Visible-range pin cushioning of Tarmon's 200-500mm lens.

And with the Tamron Silkypix's RAW converter, which automatically corrects for distortion, chromatic aberration, and edge falloff in this and every other Tamron SP-series lens.

It's no wonder Sigma dropped the price on the inventory of 150-500mm lens. They are facing tough competition.

As a previous Tamron 200-500mm lens owner, this updated and redesigned lens is much better..

jjb930

Great news. Thanks for the share Photobug!

Is there any new information regarding when the Nikon mounts will start shipping? I haven't received any new updates on my pre-order for a few weeks now and I am getting anxious.