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Tamron 200-500mm for Bif shots (1 Viewer)

F

fender

Well-known member
Hi everyone,

I am seriously thinking of buying this lens soon and have read some great threads/reviews on it. Today though, while looking through the lens forum i found some previous threads that were not so complementary to it...mainly regarding it's auto-focus speed suitability for bird flight shots and fast moving subjects.

I would be using it with my Nikon D300 and had hoped to be able to use it to capture some decent Bif photos in particular...one chap mentioned that he had captured some great images while using it on a tripod,but had never had a decent photo when hand held!...i was hoping to do this!

I realize that this may have been down to his technique,but i obviously don't want to get an unsuitable lens...money is tight and the Tamron fits my budget well,but i now feel a bit disconcerted and confused.

I would appreciate any views and experience to help me make my choice..and hopefully someone will restore my hopes in this lens!

Regards, Phil.
 
Hi Phil

I used one with a Canon 350D for a couple of years, with very good light it is a capable lens but on less bright days it will struggle to focus on BIFs. As it has no focus limiter its prone to start hunting back and forth which is very frustrating. I am not familiar with Nikon lenses but you really need something equivalent to the Canon 400mm F5.6 for an ideal BIF lens.

Cheers
Aidan
 
Focus can hunt in low light and requires F8-11 for sharpest results. But it is a lightweight, at least within that focal range, and handholding is possible, though I cheat with inbody stabilisation.
 
In good light it is a very good lens. I never had a problem with it on my Nikon D50 but very slow focusing on the D90 so most times I revert to manual focusing with the D90.

Can you go to a local camera store and ask to try it out with your camera?
 
It is a very good lens, and capable of helping to take some cracking photo's.
I feel that it does need good light to be at it's best.
You can, with luck, take some good BIF shots with it, but you have to be lucky. The focus is no exactly fast and it will hunt a bit. It focus's a lot quicker going from distant to close rather than from close to distant and that is a tip to bear in mind. Having it 'set' focused on the horizon, then auto focusing in on your shot will, everytime, be more succesfull than when the lens is focused close and has to hunt outwards for the target,
AI servo is, in my opinion, not fast enough to be of any assistance with BIF shots.
If you want simple,uncomplicated photography, then it's a great lens.
Chuck it and chance it, setting it at f8 400ISO and AV mode and leave it like that,permanently. Once you have your equipment,digital photography is free, so it makes no difference how many shots you ditch before you get a 'keeper'.
 
Thanks very much guys for the feedback...some good advice.

Thanks for the useful tips Cheersm8,i will certainly bear them in mind should i go ahead with the purchase.

By the way i had a good look at Doc's gallery photo's taken with the D300 and this lens tonight,he has many really stunning images..both static and in flight..but he does have the advantage of really good light in the middle east! very encouraging though!

Best Regards, Phil.
 
It focus's a lot quicker going from distant to close rather than from close to distant and that is a tip to bear in mind. Having it 'set' focused on the horizon, then auto focusing in on your shot will, everytime, be more succesfull than when the lens is focused close and has to hunt outwards for the target
Click to expand...

Something I will have to try once butterfly season is over with and I go back to the Tamron. thanks very much for that bit of advice.
 
Just some tips I can add ( after 5+ years with the lens ...) :
F/8 is best for sharpest images. ( F/7.1 is also good) .
AF continous
51 focus points.
Continous High shooting - 8Fps with D300 grip
Minimal Iso = 400,
At least shutter speed of 1/1250sec .
RAW
I personally shoot in Manual mode but Av is as good.
No problem with hand-held shots - as long as shutter speed is high enough .
And finally : LIGHT, LIGHT , LIGHT / SUN, SUN , SUN .
 
DOC said:
Just some tips I can add ( after 5+ years with the lens ...) :
F/8 is best for sharpest images. ( F/7.1 is also good) .
AF continous
51 focus points.
Continous High shooting - 8Fps with D300 grip
Minimal Iso = 400,
At least shutter speed of 1/1250sec .
RAW
I personally shoot in Manual mode but Av is as good.
No problem with hand-held shots - as long as shutter speed is high enough .
And finally : LIGHT, LIGHT , LIGHT / SUN, SUN , SUN .
Click to expand...

Hi Doc,

Many thanks for the great tips,whch obviously work very well...having seen your excellent gallery photo's.

Best Regards, Phil.
 
Hello Ammadoux,
I've checked the Tamron USA site for you and it says that the lens is only available in Canon, Nikon, and Sony mounts.

Regards
Angus
 
photomac said:
Hello Ammadoux,
I've checked the Tamron USA site for you and it says that the lens is only available in Canon, Nikon, and Sony mounts.

Regards
Angus
Click to expand...


thanks so much my friend, very kind of you, until now i did not get my connection working :-C, and i have no time to brows from work.

thanks againo:)
 
I've had this lens a few years and agree with Doc. It is far easier to use on my trips to Portugal than in the UK as the light is generally so much better. I have recently bought the Sigma 150-500 and don't think I will go back to using the Tamron. The Tamron is now an old lens in terms of design and most more recent lenses will have better AF and IS (OS in Sigma speak).

If the Tamron is all you can afford (although the Sigmas are a similar price new) then it is a good lens for many reasons - it is relatively light, generally gives good quality if used as DOC suggests (f8, 1/1000 sec). But if you are thinking of taking photos of small fast moving birds you need to be either very good or very lucky.
 
alanrharris53 said:
I've had this lens a few years and agree with Doc. It is far easier to use on my trips to Portugal than in the UK as the light is generally so much better. I have recently bought the Sigma 150-500 and don't think I will go back to using the Tamron. The Tamron is now an old lens in terms of design and most more recent lenses will have better AF and IS (OS in Sigma speak).

If the Tamron is all you can afford (although the Sigmas are a similar price new) then it is a good lens for many reasons - it is relatively light, generally gives good quality if used as DOC suggests (f8, 1/1000 sec). But if you are thinking of taking photos of small fast moving birds you need to be either very good or very lucky.
Click to expand...

Hi, I take your point on light etc and yes, it is more or less all i am able to afford at the moment. I was at one time considering the 150-500mm Sigma,but having read a good many reviews,threads etc, on both lenses, i came out in favour of the Tamron. I remember one where the Doc said that he found the Tamron had better IQ at both ends of the zoom range and i have heard this many times while reviewing. I know it may be older and may require more practice to get the best from it but i feel Doc's gallery does speak volumes for it's capabilities.

As i see it there are really only these two contenders within my budget for 200-500mm lenses, and i feel that the Tamron would be the better "walk around" lens in terms of weight and having the edge on resolution.

How easy is it...no matter what lens you have, to capture good shots of very small,fast moving birds in flight anyway?

I would be grateful if you, or anyone else could point-out another lens option for me that fits my £800 budget.

Regards, Phil.
 
Last edited:
Would you consider a prime? If so, a Nikon 300 f/4 AF (not AF-S) plus a Kenko 1.4x teleconverter should fit in your budget and I think would give better IQ and probably faster focus - at the expense of flexibility, of course. I find that combination works well for slow/predictable birds. Geese are easy, but swallows are 1% keepers!
 
Phil,

at the end of the day the choice is yours. I agree Doc has some great photos. I have now owned (and actually still own) both the Tamron and the Sigma 150-500. In my hands, with the two copies of the lenses I have, there is little difference, if any, in quality. For a a very unscientific comparison see here http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/4371797681/in/set-72157623467395414/ . I suspect the biggest impact on IQ is the user.

There is no doubt the Sigma has a better AF system and for me, in the UK, the OS system on the Sigma makes a big difference - this picture would not have been possible with the tamron but is with the Sigma. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/4370979622/in/set-72157623467395414/ .

Personally I don't find the weight difference an issue - I can carry either lens for a few miles and I am no bodybuilder.

I have always been a fan of the Tamron, see here for a review I did a while ago http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/179/cat/14/limit/recent/date/1067115672 bvut having used the Sigma I have no intention of going back to using the Tamron.

Good luck whatever you decide. Both are good lenses for the price.
 
Last edited:
Aegea said:
Would you consider a prime? If so, a Nikon 300 f/4 AF (not AF-S) plus a Kenko 1.4x teleconverter should fit in your budget and I think would give better IQ and probably faster focus - at the expense of flexibility, of course. I find that combination works well for slow/predictable birds. Geese are easy, but swallows are 1% keepers!
Click to expand...

Hi, i wouldn't rule out a prime,thanks for your suggestion...i had thought about it,but understand that i would need to get a better tripod collar(due to issues mentioned on this forum) a Kirk one was suggested..but the cost of this and also a 1.4x converter would push the price to around £1400 new.I know i may be lucky enough to find a used lens, but thought the 200-500mm option might work out better.

I had also considered the Sigma 300mm prime...but even secondhand i don't think that it will be in my budget,especially when adding a converter to bring the reach nearer to 500mm

Regards, Phil.
 
alanrharris53 said:
Phil,

at the end of the day the choice is yours. I agree Doc has some great photos. I have now owned (and actually still own) both the Tamron and the Sigma 150-500. In my hands, with the two copies of the lenses I have, there is little difference, if any, in quality. For a a very unscientific comparison see here http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/4371797681/in/set-72157623467395414/ . I suspect the biggest impact on IQ is the user.

There is no doubt the Sigma has a better AF system and for me, in the UK, the OS system on the Sigma makes a big difference - this picture would not have been possible with the tamron but is with the Sigma. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-photos/4370979622/in/set-72157623467395414/ .

Personally I don't find the weight difference an issue - I can carry either lens for a few miles and I am no bodybuilder.

I have always been a fan of the Tamron, see here for a review I did a while ago http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/179/cat/14/limit/recent/date/1067115672 bvut having used the Sigma I have no intention of going back to using the Tamron.

Good luck whatever you decide. Both are good lenses for the price.
Click to expand...

Hi Alan,

Many thanks for your helpful input and lens comparison's..it gives much food for thought!

Best Regards,
Phil.
 
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