Tamron Announcement: SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 VC USD

[preppyak]

Any guesses on pricing? Their current 200-500 is $950 and thats without VC and their 70-200 2.8 w/ VC is $1500.

Well, the retail price of the 200-500 at launch was $1999; obviously its come way down off that price and its street price is half that. And the Sigma 50-500 with similar apertures is $1700ish retail. So, it's hard to say.

The amount of extra glass compared to the 200-500, and their new warranty/repair policy would lead me to think you're looking at $2500-3000 easy. But, to be competitive with other 3rd party super tele-zooms, it'd have to either be $2000ish, or nearly as sharp as primes.

 

[Drizzt321]

600mm, huh? I wonder how close it will get to that in real life.

Lee Jay

That is a good point. My guess will be about 570mm. I'm interested in seeing the price on this baby. I don't do a lot of super tele distance shooting, so if this can be had for a reasonable ($2000 dollar) range, I might go for it. Fortunately for me, I'll probably get a chance to use and review it from Tamron before I have to make a decision.

Agreed. At least right now, I don't really use super-tele all that much, so if this has reasonably good IQ and under $2k, I'll almost certainly be picking up a copy.

After my 70-200 f/2.8 IS v2. And probably the 24-70v2. And Canon doesn't come out with a great 100-400 that isn't too pricey. So...I until I win the lotto or save up after buying the other 2 lenses, I've got plenty of time for this to come out and get reviewed

 

[AlanF]

http://www.tamron.com/en/news/2013/1107.html

This 150-600mm looks a very interesting package if it can deliver the goods. It's f/5-6.3, relatively lightweight at 1951g and short at 257.8 mm. Compare that with the 300mm f/2.8 II + 2xTC III at 600mm, which comes in at 2675g and 300mm at f/5.6. If it is sharp, reliable focussing etc it will make a great safari and nature lens. Can't wait to see the MTFs and sample images.

 

[AlanF]

My experience with "longer yet affordable lenses" is:
Sigma 50-500... the worst of a bad breed
Tamron 200-500... almost as bad
Sigma 150-500.... better, but still not sharp
Canon 100-400... better, but lots of copy variation.
Sigma 120-400... best of the zooms, but BARELY ahead of the very outdated Canon 100-400
Canon 400F5.6... beats them all, but it is a 20 year old design with no IS

and interestingly enough, the 70-200 with teleconverter outresolves the works of them.....

Don
Maybe you have been unlucky with with your 100-400mm. My copy is as good as my former 400mm f/5.6 (or was I unlucky with my copy of the 400 - but the Canon MTFs, slrgear and photozone show them to be similar). There are several reports, including from Neuro, that the 100-400 is at least on a par with the 70-200 + 2xTC, though he is reviewing that.

 

[neuroanatomist]

There are several reports, including from Neuro, that the 100-400 is at least on a par with the 70-200 + 2xTC, though he is reviewing that.

Actually, I'm confident that (for my copies, at least) the 100-400L @ 400mm is very slightly better than the 70-200/2.8L IS II + 2xIII in lab-type testing, and the two are not really distinguishable in real-world shots.

What I'm trying to determine now is more of a physical/handling comparison - the 100-400L is a very convenient package in terms of size and operability, and I know the 70-200 II + 2x is les so, but I need to carry the combo around for a few trips to determine how much less, and if I can live with it. If so, I expect I'll sell the 100-400L.

 

[Surfwooder]

New Tamron 150-500, Tamron 150-600

I have been keeping up with this new lens, and see the new model will have V.C. (IS) and a faster, quieter focus motor. These are the things we have been looking for in the new zooms. Has anyone have a handle on what the pricing will be like? I'm thinking it will be more than the old SP 200-500, (under $1000) but less than $1800.00 hopefully.

 

[acafinecon]

IF I were the designer I'd do a 200-600 F4-5.6 ( I hate the 6.3 and do not need 150mm b/c of my 70-200mm II L that beats anything in the world).

What you think?

 

[hoodlum]

According to the Polish Canon forum the price is expected to be around $1500.

I wish the focus limiter had a short range option

 

[traveller]

According to the Polish Canon forum the price is expected to be around $1500.

I wish the focus limiter had a short range option

At $1500, it would certainly be in the Sigma 150-500mm class, probably with similar optical performance.

IF I were the designer I'd do a 200-600 F4-5.6 ( I hate the 6.3 and do not need 150mm b/c of my 70-200mm II L that beats anything in the world).

What you think?

Would you always want to carry your 1.5kg 70-200 f/2.8 as well as 2kg of super-tele zoom?

 

[neuroanatomist]

IF I were the designer I'd do a 200-600 F4-5.6 ( I hate the 6.3 and do not need 150mm b/c of my 70-200mm II L that beats anything in the world).

What you think?

600/5.6 means the same size front element as 300/2.8. Sigma's new 120-300/2.8 OS is $3,600 and weighs 7.5 lbs. Are you sure that's what you'd want??

 

[lescrane]

=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false]http://www.tamron.eu/en/lenses/overview/single/product/sp-150-600mm-f5-63-vc-usd-5.html?tx_keproducts_pi6[cam]=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false

anyone else see the MTF charts here on Tamron's Europe site? Any thoughts??

 

[neuroanatomist]

=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false]http://www.tamron.eu/en/lenses/overview/single/product/sp-150-600mm-f5-63-vc-usd-5.html?tx_keproducts_pi6[cam]=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false

anyone else see the MTF charts here on Tamron's Europe site? Any thoughts??

Thanks for posting that.

As for the MTFs of the new lens, I'm unimpressed in an absolute sense, but they compare favorably to the Canon 100-400L.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

Very interesting development from Tamron ... if it is equal to or better than the Sigma 150-500 OS, I'll get this new Big Tammy ... I like how the 3rd party lens manufacturers are pushing the limits, its good for people like me who are not willing or cannot spend money on big prime lenses like 500mm, 600mm etc ... the rumored $1500 price tag sound pretty good, if that's the US price, I'm pretty sure I can get it for $200 less in Hong kong or Japan.

 

[lescrane]

I've owned and rented several Canon 100-400 IS L's, and found it's a luck of the draw with how good a copy you have, which is why I don't own one now and am waiting for a replacement,.

I have the Tamron 70-300 VC which replaced my Canon 70-300 IS USM. While I can't swear to optical sharpness, the stabilization on the new Tamrons is more effective than the old Canons. Since I shoot handheld or w/a monopod on the bigger lenses, I find that having a good IS/VC is most important, eg, unsharp images are mostly due to movement. I'm hoping that the new Tamron is on a par w/the 100-400 and superior to the Sigma offerings, and it's a go.

 

[Hannes]

interesting indeed, I rarely need a supertele and could live with poorer IQ as it is likely to be used mainly in a zoo. If it goes for about as much as a canon 100-400 and not too much worse IQ I would order one

 

[josephandrews222]

Fortunately for me, I'll probably get a chance to use and review it from Tamron before I have to make a decision.

Fortunate for us too! You're a good reviewer, Dustin.

I concur. I look forward to reading Dustin's review. I own the 200-500 Tamron.

 

[unfocused]

At 500mm I wasn't really interested, but 600mm changes all that.

Pricing, of course, will be critical. But, Tamron has been very aggressive on pricing in the past. As far as quality goes, I owned (technically still own, but it's now on permanent loan to my wife) the 70-300mm and it was very good for the money (maybe not 70-300 L sharp, but certainly 100-400mm L sharp).

Other question is when? I get frustrated when companies release vapor lenses.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Other question is when? I get frustrated when companies release vapor lenses.

Sure is a good thing Canon never does that... : :

 

[AlanF]

=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false]http://www.tamron.eu/en/lenses/overview/single/product/sp-150-600mm-f5-63-vc-usd-5.html?tx_keproducts_pi6[cam]=&tx_keproducts_pi6[vc]=false&tx_keproducts_pi6[sp]=false

anyone else see the MTF charts here on Tamron's Europe site? Any thoughts??

Thanks for that link. It looks like they have concentrated on the resolution at 600mm, rather than 150, which is what I want. The MTFs at 600mm look to be pretty respectable in the centre, and the extra length going from 400 to 600 over the 100-400mm should make it a much effectively sharper lens. So, let's wait and see.

 

[unfocused]

Other question is when? I get frustrated when companies release vapor lenses.

Sure is a good thing Canon never does that... : :

No they never do. But then, when it's an $11,000 zoom, I really don't care.