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Filter-thread: The Tamron 70-180mm f2.8 Di III shares the same 67mm filter-thread with its shorter siblings the 17-28mm f2.8 Di III and 28-75mm f2.8 Di III which is very convenient – and saves costs. The Sony and the Tamron G2 take 77mm filters. [+]
But these days, what gets me most excited is not the gear with the highest price tag, most impressive specs or prettiest bokeh, but that which makes photography more accessible to the masses. Tamron seems to be on a roll lately when it comes to conjuring up good glass with the budget-minded photographer in mind Importantly, full-time manual focus override is also possible and the lens is also fully compatible with the "Direct Manual Focus (DMF)" system feature of Sony cameras that enables the user to instantly switch between autofocus and manual focus. If you are running on a tight budget getting a used Canon 70-200mm 4.0L can still be a good option, especially when you already have an AF adapter like the Sigma MC-11. The Tamron is obviously a stop faster, a bit more compact and offers better AF performance whereas the Canon is not focus by wire and at least offers an AF/MF switch as well as a focus limiter.Tamron have employed an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades for a pleasing rendering of the out-of-focus highlights. Therefore if you are looking for the value vs performance vs flexibility vs weight ratios I have been talking about then the E mount does represent a very strong reason as you KNOW you can get that NOW, and prices will only drop further over time. There are no guarantees if and when Z mount will get the 3rd party lens support that Sony E Mount has.
Image stabilization: Other than the Tamron G1 the Tamron G2 now offers optical stabilization. Same with the Sony GM II. [+] The Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD produces quite nice sunstars when stopped-down to f/16 and f/22, as shown below.
The Sony A7C also offers enough value that I'd even recommend it over the R8, despite the massive price difference, and of course the Sony A6700 utterly destroys the Canon R7. The optical formula is comprised of 19 elements in 14 groups, including six low dispersion elements (both XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) and LD (Low Dispersion) designs) and three aspherical elements, and it has an iris diaphragm with nine rounded aperture blades for better bokeh effects. Price: 1499 EUR (incl. 19% VAT) / 1199 USD / 1329 GBP. This is about half of what the Sony GM II costs: 3000 EUR / 2800 USD / 2600 GBP. The Tamron G1 can still be had for 1000 EUR / 1100 USD / 1000 GBP. [+] With the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD lens wide open at f/2.8, you can see some obvious light fall-off in the corners at both ends of the zoom range. Stopping down helps, although to completely get rid of this phenomenon, you will need to use an f-stop of f/8 or smaller.
A special anti reflection coating (BBAR-G2) minimises ghosting and flare to ensure crisp, sharp details in photos. The lens utilises camera-based distortion and shading corrections for in-camera image enhancements. Under the current constraints, it is a little harder, and I’ve had to resort to birds, my kids riding on bikes and a radio-controlled car. I never thought I’d be one of those photographers chasing seagulls on the beach, but here I am. As you pull focus, you’ll notice some focus breathing: the image becomes more magnified at closer focusing distances. When I adjusted the focus from infinity to 1.88m on the new Tamron at 180mm focal length, I measured a 4% increase in magnification. This is quite visible and might annoy some videographers but it is a much smaller effect than the Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS shows with its 11% increase in magnification. The same test at 70mm focal length produced only a 0.4% increase.
Ease of Use
Another option to consider for serious product photography are the Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro and the TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lenses (both native 1:2 macros). While being primes and MF only they have superb optics and allow you to tilt the plane in focus. TsaiProject yes you could add more items into consideration ad infinitum, however I took a decision to limit it to key rivals in the same format (full frame mirrorless). To connect your PC and lens, use the TAMRON Connection Cable (USB Type-A to Type-C/ Model CC-150, or USB Type-C to Type-C/ Model CC-350) sold separately. Our headline features here are the weather sealing and compact size of the lens. The A056 feels reasonably tough (though nothing like the all-metal GM), handles well and is easy to use, though without any of the extra bells and whistles that both Sigma and Sony have included on their professional zooms. First, let’s take a look at the flare results. It has been challenging finding direct sunlight here in Alberta as we are in the early throes of winter. Nothing but snow and clouds for most of the week but I did find a brief flash of sunlight and got our test. I’m happy to report that the lens handles flare well. There is some loss of contrast at f2.8 but it is minor. There is no ghosting either, even when stopped down. Even with direct sunlight the lens has only minimal loss of contrast.
Due to an accident that lead to a surgery I only got to spend limited time with this lens. When it comes to the optical qualities I have no reason to complain, this is a very compelling lens in terms of sharpness as well as bokeh and I did not manage to find a deal breaking flaw here. Especially compared to Sony’s 70-200mm options this is the only lens in this segment I could recommend to the potential buyer. Tamron’s stabilized SP AF 70-200mm 2.8 Di VC USD G2 for about 1200 EUR/USD is a DSLR design available in Canon and Nikon mounts and can be used via converter on a Sony Alpha camera. The lens has a removable tripod-collar with an Arca-Swiss style tripod interface plus a focus limiter. It is 194mm long, weighs 1.5kg (without converter), and earned a recommendation in my Tamron SP 70-200mm f2.8 VC G2 review from 2017.
Features and Functions
Regarding Canon's "going all-out with AF in the most affordable body", I will say that is commendable in terms of Canon's overall history, because they have had a downright terrible history in terms of the 6D DSLRs and even the first two 5D series. Filter-thread: The Tamron G2 shares the same 67mm filter-thread with its shorter siblings the 17-28mm f2.8 Di III and 28-75mm f2.8 Di III G2 which is very convenient – and saves costs. The Sony GM II takes 77mm filters. [+] In the absence of a FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS to test with, I can’t make any direct comparisons, but I can say that the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 is fast enough for the sports-like tests I conducted. I think sports shooters would be happy with this.
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