I have been looking for a lightweight telephoto zoom and had previously tried and rejected four different copies of the Sigma 100-400mm because of its very poor IS, the major reason, as well as being irked by the absence of a tripod ring, which is a pity as optically it is very good. Dustin Abbott posted last week a preliminary review of the Tamron 100-400mm, and admitted the Sigma AF didn't cut it it. He thought the Tamron is as good optically as the Canon 100-400mm II based on his shots of wooden planks. I bit the bullet and ordered one on-line, which arrived last night. I tested it against charts today and a few bird shots.
Optically it's very similar to the Canon 100-400mm II. At 400mm it is a tad sharper in the centre and maybe a bit weaker at the edges.
There is strong vignetting at f/6.3, which disappears by f/11.
The IS is excellent. The image is stable in the viewfinder, unlike that of the Sigma, which jumps all over the place.
I could use it at 1/40s handheld, unlike the Sigma.
The AF seems good, but I need to do more testing.
The tripod ring is nice, substantial but light.
The weight of the lens with hood, tripod ring and filter is 1353g, compared with 1727g for the Canon 100-400mm II, i.e., 374g or 13oz lighter.
I think it will pair nicely with the M5 and adapter to give a very lightweight travel lens which will seriously outperform the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III for telephoto shots.
This lens is a keeper. I'll report back more in the near future,
Optically it's very similar to the Canon 100-400mm II. At 400mm it is a tad sharper in the centre and maybe a bit weaker at the edges.
There is strong vignetting at f/6.3, which disappears by f/11.
The IS is excellent. The image is stable in the viewfinder, unlike that of the Sigma, which jumps all over the place.
I could use it at 1/40s handheld, unlike the Sigma.
The AF seems good, but I need to do more testing.
The tripod ring is nice, substantial but light.
The weight of the lens with hood, tripod ring and filter is 1353g, compared with 1727g for the Canon 100-400mm II, i.e., 374g or 13oz lighter.
I think it will pair nicely with the M5 and adapter to give a very lightweight travel lens which will seriously outperform the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III for telephoto shots.
This lens is a keeper. I'll report back more in the near future,