Beginner Tamron..are they any good?

Brooxy85

Brooxy85

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Andy
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Afternoon all. I am looking at purchasing another lens for my D3300. I have been looking at 70-300mm lenses for when I go and watch the F1 later this year and don't want to spend a fortune as will not use it very often. I have notice that Tamron lenses seem to be a bit cheaper than others, so my question is. For a beginner, are they any good?

I am also a tad confused as to what is compatible with my camera. Something to do with my D3300 not having built in auto focus? From what I've already read, it seems the lens I would need is a Tamron A17NII.
Can anyone shine any light on this for me?

Many thanks..
 
The Tamron SP AF 70-300 F4-5.6 VC is a well regarded lens and will work with your D3300. Having said that copies seem to differ in quality and you could end up with a less than satisfactory one. It's important therefore to buy from a reputable source where you could exchange it for a different one if you weren't 100% happy.

The one you refer doesn't have vibration control (VC) but is a lot cheaper.

AL

 
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The D3300 doesn't have an integrated autofocus motor, so you're restricted to lenses that have their own motor. That includes all Nikon's AF-S lenses.

I'll leave the Tamron question to others. I know of them, but I've never owned or used one.
 
The Tamron 70-300 that tends to be sold for ca £100 is pretty arse, don't buy it.

If you need a cheap telephoto then the Nikon 55-200 VR is good a cheap or if you can afford the extra then the Tamron 70-300VC is a cracking lens, or the Nikon 70-300VR is also great.
 
Tamrons are always great value, and often great performance too. Like the 70-300 with VC, that's almost as good as the Nikon version, but a lot cheaper.

The 70-300 without VC is built down to a price and performs like it. There are a couple of Sigma 70-300s that do better at the bargain basement end. They're basically identical, so go for the cheaper non-APO version.
 
I have the cheap tam 70-300, it came with my camera. I have got some nice pics with it at airshows and rallies, but you need really good light for it. Any sort of overcast day and it really isn't great.
I'm sure I read on here before that the canon (what I have) 55-250 is a much better lens for a similar price. I imagine Nikon do a similar lens.
 
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Speaking purely as an amateur, don't get the basic 70-300 which I've seen new for as little as £70). The SP70-300 (which I think is the same as the VC version people have referred to above - I shoot Sony so our version doesn't have VC even though it's the same price) is an excellent lens for the money in my experience. The difference in size and weight compared to the cheaper lens says a lot! For some more money Tamron do a 200mm zoom with a 2.8 aperture which might help get you higher shutter speeds though for fast action? I've had several Tamron lenses (as has my father) and have had no problems. In fact, they make lenses for Sony and it is also rumoured others as well. Of course. Your mileage may vary!
 
If you're looking at the one on Amazon for 85 ish quid then me too. I've been through all the online reviews and it seems you get what you pay for. It does a job and is good value but from 250-300 the focus isn't amazing and the auto focus takes forever. It seems to score about 3 out of 5 most places. I'll tell you more when mine arrives.
 
My girlfriend has the d3300 and the tamron 70-300 VC version and took the attached shot today. Ok this was quite close but you can see you can achieve some very impressive results. This is just from Facebook, the raw file is even sharper.
 

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I use the Tamron 70-300 VC on a Canon 550D (a fairly old and baseline camera now) and it performs well on birds. I tend not to use it at 300 - I think it performs better pulled back to around 280/290 mm, but for the money it's a good bit of kit. I bought it as a 'half way house' towards the Tamron 150-600, which a couple of years down the line I still can't afford........ I'd steer well clear of the cheap non VC version.
 
Thanks guy for your advice. I really want to get some good snaps when I go to F1. Last time I only took an 18-55 which came with the camera and I didn't really get what I was looking for. To far away. Is there any other affordable lenses you can recommend? Also if anyone has any snaps they can share so I can see what I can expect that'd be fantastic.

Cheers
 
Brooxy85 said:
Thanks guy for your advice. I really want to get some good snaps when I go to F1. Last time I only took an 18-55 which came with the camera and I didn't really get what I was looking for. To far away. Is there any other affordable lenses you can recommend? Also if anyone has any snaps they can share so I can see what I can expect that'd be fantastic.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Here are a few thousand I prepared earlier :) https://www.flickr.com/groups/tamron_70-300mm_vc_usd/pool/
 
If you can stretch to paying about £550 you can get the excellent Nikon 300mm F4 (not the VR PF version). This is pretty much as sharp as can you can get with only a few of the mega expensive primes doing better. It's also f4 as opposed to f5.6 which gives you a faster shutter speed. Image quality and focus speed are much better than the tamron (though the tamron is definitely an excellent lens for the price). I'm not sure you're wanting to spend that much though, but if you are, for the price you'll get one of the best lenses Nikon produces and that includes the ones that cost many £1000s!
 
To answer your question Brooxy - I'd say yes they are good, even the cheaper ones, but as has already been said some copies are good, others not so good so buy from a known dealer who would be happy to replace if you're not 100% happy.

But if your budget stretches much higher than £100, I'd check out a used (but recent) 70-300VR, which at its price point offers excellent quality and future proofing.

With the budget Tamron and Sigma models you have to sacrifice image quality (control of chromatic aberration) and sharpness, they're good at one, but not both, on a 24MP body I think they will be stretched optically.

htids suggestion of the 300f4 is interesting, optically superb as I have one (but it is bettered by the Pentax DA*300 in my opinion), the only snag is with a prime is that if you are following action you really do need to know where it is before taking aim with the lens, I spend so much time trying to fair air and not the subject - embarrassing I know:oops: :$
 
HoppyUK said:
Here are a few thousand I prepared earlier :) https://www.flickr.com/groups/tamron_70-300mm_vc_usd/pool/
Click to expand...


So fantastic shots there..


htid said:
If you can stretch to paying about £550 you can get the excellent Nikon 300mm F4 (not the VR PF version). This is pretty much as sharp as can you can get with only a few of the mega expensive primes doing better. It's also f4 as opposed to f5.6 which gives you a faster shutter speed. Image quality and focus speed are much better than the tamron (though the tamron is definitely an excellent lens for the price). I'm not sure you're wanting to spend that much though, but if you are, for the price you'll get one of the best lenses Nikon produces and that includes the ones that cost many £1000s!
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I am on a tight budget. As I don't use it much I can't warrant spending a fortune, especially as I'm just starting out. I don't really want to spend much over £200 which I know doesn't leave many options. I'm happy to buy used if needs be.
 
Yeah. If you REALLY want to go to town and use what the pros do, you can get a 400mm f2.8 ;) only £311 for 3 days! Or just get it for a month for £1300 haha.
 
@Brooxy85 Everybody is correct in saying that the tamron is sharp and if you were going to buy then yes, that's probably the one to go for. But the Nikon I linked you to to rent is in a different class to the tamron. Of course the thing is that the Nikon is a fixed 300mm lens and then Tamron is a zoom. I'm not sure how close you'll be but I assume you'll be far enough away that you'll never be wishing you can zoom out (but obviously I don't know that)
 
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The VC Tamron is cracking for the price - I'd go to a reputable shop, try the lens before you buy it and check for things like focus speed, and how sharp it is wide open.

Tamron usually give you a 5 year warranty for an EU purchase.
 
I have owned a few of the lenses being mentioned here. Nikon 300mm f4 prime, Nikon 55-300mm, Nikon 70-300mm VR ,Tamron 70-300mm VC & Sigma 70-300mm APO DG.

For the money of £239.00 you wont go far wrong with the Tamron, and IMHO when comparing against the Nikon version, to my eyes there was nothing in them IQ wise, actually I preferred the pop of the Tamron lens. The Nikon is a better built lens and that's about it , not worth the extra £170 or so. As for quality of the Tamron's, I have owned three different copies and all have performed excellently and you get a five year warranty. I have used them on Nikon D3100, D7000, D7100 & D750 which I currently own.

The Nikon 300mm F4 prime is an excellent lens even with a 1.4TC attached, but it can be a little heavy if using all day. It will focus faster than the zooms and the IQ is better, but for your needs I wouldn't bother and just get the 70-300mm Tamron. If you did find the lens a little heavy I have found a 81mm lens collar on Amazon which fits the lens perfectly and can be left on a Monopod or Tripod if required.

Tamron 70-300mm VC > http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-tamron-70-300mm-f4-5-6-sp-di-vc-usd-lens-nikon-fit/p1520737

Tamron with lens collar.

IMG_0794 by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

20150925-DSC_2737 by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Nothing spectacular, but a Coal & Blue Tit, with the photos being taken through back door double glazing using the Tamron.

Coal tit by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Blue Tit by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
 
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Having previously been a Nikon ONLY type of shooter, I was pleasantly surprised of how good the optics were on the Tamron 70-200mm 2.8, so much so that in the last month alone I have also bought the Tamron 90mm 2.8 and 150-600mm VA. :)
 
I use the Tamron SP 70-300mm with VC on my D7100 and have been very pleased with it, it gets a fair bit of use. If I was the OP with a £200 max budget I would wait, save a little more and get this lens.
 
For years my standard lens was the Tamron 28-70mm zoom, bought in the late 1980s when Tamron were already a respected lens manufacturer. They are one of the most respected independent lens makers, behind Zeiss and Sigma in my opinion, but still high quality.
 
The Tamron's I own have had great image quality but one of them has extremely poor build quality, disappointingly so. The quality control issue for lens optical quality seems to have been ironed out but the build quality niggles still remain.
I've used Sigma before plenty of times but never owned one. I'm getting their 20mm f/1.4 soon so will be in a better position to comment then.
 
Tamron can be good I've had a few in the past and it's your Donald Duck what you get with them some can have great glass others can be pants
SP range tend to be better quality controlled but a bit more pricey

Had sigmas but never realy had one that I could say I was impressed with
 
jimbosloan said:
Had sigmas but never realy had one that I could say I was impressed with
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I would second this. My Sigma 70-300 is okay on a bright sunny day, on a tripod at less than 250mm. Over that I get some effect that looks like pixelation.

This will go on eBay at some time in the future and I will replace with a Nikon VR (not Tamron).
 
I've got a tamron Sp70-300 Di VC USD which I'm going to move on as I've now got the sigma 150-600.
The tamron is a great lens for the money.
 
I had Tamron 2.8 for Canon and i was happy with the results. Some collegues say that Tamron are a bit flat about colors, but who cares when we all do posteditiing.
 
wezza13 said:
I have a Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 and it's the best lens (in terms of sharpness and colours) that I own. Very highly recommend it.

Also own the Tamron 150-600mm. Excellent lens for it's price. Again, I'd highly recommend (y)
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I own the self same lenses and I cannot fault either of them

Les
 
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