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SP AF 200-500MM F/5-6.3 Di LD

Lens Construction (Groups/Elements) 10/13 (2 LD elements) Angle of View 12�-5� Focal Length 200mm to 500mm Maximum Aperture f5 to f6.3 Diaphragm Blade Number 9 Minimum Aperture f/32 Minimum Focus 2.5m (98.4") (entire zoom range) Macro Mag. Ratio 1:5.0 (at 500mm) Filter Diameter 86mm Weight 1237g (43.6oz) Diameter x Length 3.7 x 8.9in. (200mm setting, no hood) (93.5 x 227.0mm) Accessories Lens hood, Detachable Filter Effect Control, Carrying case and strap Mount Canon, Minolta-D, Nikon-D

Content and images originally posted by Andy Bright

[edit] Reviews

[edit] Curt Brandt's review

I have this and the BIGMA .. and I will say that I believe the Tamron photos are much better than the 50-500 Sigma. I bought it for my friend so when we go out shootin', she'd have a long distance lens to use also.

TC's definitely appear to affect the quality of the photos on this lens.

Easy to handhold even at it's length and weight.

Shooting it on D50's and a D70.

[edit] Pros

• good optics

[edit] Cons

• needs decent light
• a bit long

[edit] D. Taylor's review

I have had this lens for about 3 weeks and have been very happy with the results. I use it on a Nikon D 50 and use it mostly for birds and wildllife. I think is hard to beat for the price. That said I am no pro at photography, very much an amature taking pictures for fun, but it fits my budget and and the results makes me happy.

[edit] Pros

• good optics
• quick focus
• relatively light
• good price

[edit] Cons

• No I S
• need good light

[edit] nigel_raby's review

I bought this lens second hand about a year ago and use it at least once a week & pretty much love it. I use it with tripod or other support as much as poss as I don't have much luck handheld. It can be slow to focus & hunt in low light & I try not to use above 450mm but I get carried away sometimes then wish I hadn't. Iv'e tried it with a Tamron 1.4 multipier which came with it, it will AF but the results are never very good. Iv'e also tried using an un-branded C-PL for water shots, but it was no good as it would only AF in extreme sunlight.

One day I'll splash out on a quality prime, but until then I'll stick with this baby....

[edit] Pros

• Good Value - Light Weight - Tripod Clamp - Hood

[edit] Cons

• A little soft above 400mm

[edit] rezMole's review

Agree with first review. It is a great lens for the price. Often compared to the Sigma 50-500, and seen as second best of the two - i suspect this isn\\\'t true. It is lighter and other reviews seem to imply the Tamron is better at wider apertures. It is fairly easy to use handheld for flight shots and i find that i rarely use a tripod with it anymore - although it is useful to rest on something. The AF is a little on the noisey side and hunts a fair bit at low light levels - but i don\\\'t think this is unusual. All-in-all though, for the price, i don\\\'t think you can beat it. Together with the Tamron 28-300mm zoom, you have a great \\\"starter\\\" kit for well under a thousand pounds - which should be good enough for most people (until a good quality prime is affordable!) Rating based on 8 for quality and 10 for value for money

[edit] Pros

• Light
• can be hand held
• good price

[edit] Cons

• As with most zooms
• a little soft
• Noise

[edit] rb_stern's review

It has now become my prime dSLR birding lens, used with my Nikon D70s, having relegated the Nikon 80-400VR to 2nd place. The main reason is that it is lighter and easier to carry and hold. It is very well balanced for hand-holding. I also think it is a little brighter and sharper, and the extra 100mm. helps too. Auto-focus is adequately fast, although, as expected, difficult with, e.g. small birds in dense cover.

The lack of VR/IS does not seem to matter most of the time if I hold it correctly, although it might occasionally mean the difference between no shot and an acceptable shot in poor light. The main disadvantage I have found is that even at 200mm., it is physically quite long, and I haver had to change my standard camera bag for a longer one.

Richard Stern

[edit] Pros

• High quality image
• sharp
• relatively light-weight and well balanced
• easy to hand-hold.

[edit] Cons

• No IS/ VR (but I have found that is no disadvantage 90% of the time)
• too long for some camera bags

[edit] imagemaster's review

Perhaps good for the price, but poor compared to the Canon 100-400. Even if the Canon did not have IS, it is still a much better lens.

A focus-limiter increases focus speed considerably. It is nice to be able to lock the Canon zoom at any position to avoid zoom creep. After less than one year, the Tamron had a part inside come apart and it was expensive to fix. I had bought it used from the U.S., so warranty was invalid.

[edit] Pros

• good optics

[edit] Cons

• no IS
• no focus-limiter
• no zoom lock
• noisy
• slow focus