Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Telephoto Lens for Nikon

I rented the Nikon 70-200 2.8E FL before pre-ordering the Tamron. Body and handling In this latest generation of 70-200 workhorses, both brands flipped the position of the focus and zoom rings, with the focus ring closer to the body. This means my grip is indeed a bit farther out to stay in reach of the more often used zoom ring, placing the heel of my palm partially on the focus ring. Even in A/M mode on the Nikon (which is supposed to reduce focus ring sensitivity to avoid accidentally nudging the focus), I did experience some slight shifting of focus from my palm.While it was pretty rare, the slight movement in the ring gave me just enough doubt, that I'd overuse my focus just to be safe (when back-button focusing). I have not experienced this with the Tamron at ... MoreI rented the Nikon 70-200 2.8E FL before pre-ordering the Tamron. Body and handling In this latest generation of 70-200 workhorses, both brands flipped the position of the focus and zoom rings, with the focus ring closer to the body. This means my grip is indeed a bit farther out to stay in reach of the more often used zoom ring, placing the heel of my palm partially on the focus ring. Even in A/M mode on the Nikon (which is supposed to reduce focus ring sensitivity to avoid accidentally nudging the focus), I did experience some slight shifting of focus from my palm.While it was pretty rare, the slight movement in the ring gave me just enough doubt, that I'd overuse my focus just to be safe (when back-button focusing). I have not experienced this with the Tamron at all. I believe this is partially due to the focus ring being significantly narrower than the Nikon's, and a bit stiffer, though not quite as smooth.It's a small thing, but the confidence is crucial to keeping my mind on the shoot and not the lens. The Nikon has AF buttons that are pretty useful in certain situations, and also help prevent accidentally nudging focus by keeping your hand farther out. Otherwise, the Nikon body is familiar and sturdy. It looks and feels the same as other high quality Nikkor glass. The Tamron body has a significantly higher end feel than other Tamron lenses, including other SP line lenses like the 24-70 and 90mm Macro. The Tamron metal seems to show scuffs easier. Just hanging on my side, the frequent rubbing against my clothes seems to have left some light superficial marks on the surface. Nothing damaging, not scratches, more like polishing lines which are only visible under certain light. It's not a big deal considering this is a workhorse of a lens, and it is certainly sturdy enough for professional use, but it's a bit discouraging to see my new lens marked up after one weekend. Speaking of hanging to my side, the Tamron switches protrude a bit more than the Nikons and were constantly being flipped while I walked. If running around, each time I raised the lens, the AF or VC would be off again and I'd have to double check. This caused me to miss a couple shots in quick draw scenarios at a sporting event when AF was flipped to MF accidentally. The Arca Swiss foot on the Tamron is great! However, since I prefer to mount my strap to the foot to relieve strain on the lens mount, I still have to add a plate. So while I greatly appreciate the thought (all my tripods and mounts are Arca-Swiss compatible), it unfortunately probably won't get much use in the field. Small thing, but the Nikon hood clicks on with a switch to release and feels very secure. The Tamron uses the standard friction point. In case you were wondering, the G2 will not mount to the Nikon TC-14E II 1.4x teleconverter, not even a modified one to fit older lenses. So if you're looking to get a little extra range, expect to dish out another $400 for the Tamron teleconverter. Performance I didn't experience any noticeable difference in autofocus speed or accuracy. The Tamron is very fast and accurate and does not hunt, even in low light. It even handles backlit situations with light coming into the lens very well and is still able to grab focus very quickly and with confidence. The Tamron VC seems to work better than the Nikon's VR. I have no trouble getting crisp shots at 1/20 at 200mm, handheld. The Tamron focuses about 6 closer which is too close for headshots, but it does throw the background out nicely for close-ups. Image quality The Nikon produces images with a little more contrast, particularly in the details. Though the Tamron images are a bit flatter, the colors feel more natural and a bit more saturated. With two perfectly in focus samples side-by-side, the Nikon may be very slightly sharper wide open, but this could be only the extra microcontrast on the Nikon. Overall, this is a fantastic lens and a bargain. (Attached photo is a SOOC RAW processed with no adjustments, and an example of light coming directly into the lens, which had no trouble grabbing focus)

First off, I've owed the prior Tamron 70-200 VC for 3 years. The prior lens was sharp and was a really good lens for most types of photos. The only reason why I was looking for a replacement was due to wanting faster focusing, more focusing accuraccy, and being able to open more then f4. The new G2 version gave me this. The prior lens was alittle soft between f2.8-f3.5 and was accurate about 60% of the time. The G2 is about 10-20% sharper from 2.8-3.5 and accuracy is up to about 80%. I've used this in low light conditon in differnt high school theatre perforamces and A cappella performances on a D750, and I am amazed of the difference. If there is anything I can say bad about the lens is, first the finsh of the lens, fingerprint magnet!!!! Also the new Tamron lens ... MoreFirst off, I've owed the prior Tamron 70-200 VC for 3 years. The prior lens was sharp and was a really good lens for most types of photos. The only reason why I was looking for a replacement was due to wanting faster focusing, more focusing accuraccy, and being able to open more then f4. The new G2 version gave me this. The prior lens was alittle soft between f2.8-f3.5 and was accurate about 60% of the time. The G2 is about 10-20% sharper from 2.8-3.5 and accuracy is up to about 80%. I've used this in low light conditon in differnt high school theatre perforamces and A cappella performances on a D750, and I am amazed of the difference. If there is anything I can say bad about the lens is, first the finsh of the lens, fingerprint magnet!!!! Also the new Tamron lens caps scuff up way easier then the prior lens caps. Now this is the only other thing I can say some what negative about the lens. At close distance (ei min distance to 6ft) from 70mm-100mm it does front focus a good amount, it does get better as I focus further out, but still front focus at longer distance (ei 25ft or more). All will be corrected once I get a Tamron Tap console. One thing I have learn with this, the in camera AF fine tuning is not the way to go. When I try to correct the front focus this way, it completely messup everything else and caused the camera to start having focusing issues. Hopefully this helps others that might see this same focusing issue.

I rented this lens to try out to see if I liked it enough to buy and save money rather than buying the Nikon version. I had the opportunity to photograph a theater performance with it. Using a Nikon D850, I found the autofocus to be incredibly inconsistent using only the F2.8 aperture. Many of the shots I took came out just slightly out of focus. When they did show in focus, they were tack sharp and looked as I hoped they would. I've shot theater for 10 years and never had a lens this inconsistent. By contrast I shot the same performance the next day with my Nikon 70-200 F4 and had great results as I usually do.Maybe the Tamron would do better on a D5 or sports body, or maybe it's just not great in inconsistent lighting, or maybe I'm not the photographer I think I ... MoreI rented this lens to try out to see if I liked it enough to buy and save money rather than buying the Nikon version. I had the opportunity to photograph a theater performance with it. Using a Nikon D850, I found the autofocus to be incredibly inconsistent using only the F2.8 aperture. Many of the shots I took came out just slightly out of focus. When they did show in focus, they were tack sharp and looked as I hoped they would. I've shot theater for 10 years and never had a lens this inconsistent. By contrast I shot the same performance the next day with my Nikon 70-200 F4 and had great results as I usually do.Maybe the Tamron would do better on a D5 or sports body, or maybe it's just not great in inconsistent lighting, or maybe I'm not the photographer I think I am! Either way, I'm glad I rented before buying.Thanks to Liz who was very helpful during the rental process. Great customer service.