TALES FROM THE PAST - Tamron's 300mm SP AF LD
a review by Jonathan Eastland
first published in Professional Photographer magazine in 1997.
Ten years ago, a Tamron SP 300mm f/2,8 destined for my gadget bag, never made it. It was purchased new off the shelf in Frankfurt and found itself on a jumbo routed to a Mexico City soccer pitch where it was scheduled to work on the World Cup. Hardly out of its shiny box, the lens was accidentally kicked off a trainer's bench, re-adapting its rear end. En route by cab to the wire room at the end of the day the lens was 'mislaid', although its minder arrived safely.
Sceptics might have thought otherwise, but the lens was eventually returned to the press office and several weeks later traveled back across the Atlantic to London. On arrival it was sent for repair in preparation for its assignment with me in a far away land. Its rear end fixed, 'tammy', an accident looking for a disaster, was dispatched by bike to the Ap office in Norwich Street.
The story goes that the bike skidded, throwing rider, bike and lens all over the road. Happily, the courier was not injured; the bike survived. But the lens. Oh dear. The lens was done for. Finally and constructively reshaped in the way of a banana by the sixteen wheels of a passing articulated.
It was my first opportunity to see how such independent chunks of glassware were contsructed and more importantly perhaps, the quality of materials used. Some independent lenses of the period were renowned for particular weaknesses, but this was not Tamron's first big dinner plate 300. A helical focus version had preceded it.
The lens was a write off, but surprisingly after such an impact, the heavy aluminum barrel, badly dented in the middle, was still in one piece. It was likely therefore, that after a fall off the shoulder onto hard concrete, the resulting damage to ends and innards would be slight. I made sure, when the replacement finally arrived, to keep the big lens hood fixed and taped in place.
When I was asked to look at Tamron's latest 300 AF designed for the Canon EOS range, I fully expected to see an old safari green friend, slightly modified to cater for the new technology. In fact, this is a third generation Tamron AF lens and was first shown at photokina last year. Even so, it is in a different league from its predecessors; apparent on first inspection of the artifact as well as its price tag.
I have owned several Tamron lenses over the years, beginning way back in the 60s with a 300mm f/5.6. They have consistently proved to be optically superior to some other brands. This example showed a marked improvement in out of focus areas over its earlier brothers, due no doubt to an improved nine bladed diaphragm forming a near circle at each value setting. This is a multi coated, high contrast optical construction with excellent resolution and sharpness across the frame, especially noticeable in the near to middle distance at around f/4 and f/5.6. Two low dispersion glass elements are used in the front group of this ten element, seven group construction.
Nor is this new lens a lightweight; it weighs in at a staggering 2.4 kilos (98.8ozs) which without the benefit of a monopod soon begins to tell on middle aged weaklings like me. The substantial (and removable) cast tripod bracket weighs little, and I don't imagine the built in auto-focus motor weighs much more. That leaves some of the glass elements and the lens barrel which must, of necessity, provide stability for whopping chunks of the former.
The wide, treaded rubber and brass bound focus ring is accurately placed for thumb and forefinger control. The ring incorporates Tamron's latest snap back and forth switching device to engage AF or manual focus control. I like this system a lot; it gives much better and faster control than the type of independently located focus switches one usually ends up fumbling for. It's a smooth and firm operator in both manual and AF, with non of the slack familiar to some internal focus models I have used. A new ROM chip incorporating faster focus reacting software is also a feature of this lens. Even on an obsolete EOS 620, the lens snapped quickly in and out of focus over a wide range. The distance scale, should you ever have a need to use it, is marked in feet and meters and visible through the now standard plexiglass window. A really secure, push down, twist and lock, drop-in 43mm filter holder features a knurled wheel enabling circular polarising filters to be used.
A substantial and very smooth lockable tripod collar is fitted with massive saftey strap lugs. Alas, this lens has no flat glass filter/protector for the large front element, so expect to add another 100 pounds or so for a 112mm filter. The extra long, turned aluminium and tough polycarbonate lens hood provides some protection from knocks and bangs and is held in place by a pair of neat fold flat, key type screw locks.
The RRP of £2800 might seem uncompetitive compared with some other independents; the differential between this and camera brand versions is smaller, but then, so too is the specification and performance. If I have any reservations at all, it concerns the really superb metallic gloss dark grey paint finish. It looks so good when new. Only time will tell how it stands up to the kind of professional bruising likely to be awarded it.
Copyright: Jonathan Eastland.
This review article was first published in Professional Photographer magazine in 1997.
Visitors, users and viewers of the foregoing content may copy and re-use it in other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following.
Copyright; Jonathan Eastland
www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com 2006.
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2006.
This original content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks , registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.
first published in Professional Photographer magazine in 1997.
Ten years ago, a Tamron SP 300mm f/2,8 destined for my gadget bag, never made it. It was purchased new off the shelf in Frankfurt and found itself on a jumbo routed to a Mexico City soccer pitch where it was scheduled to work on the World Cup. Hardly out of its shiny box, the lens was accidentally kicked off a trainer's bench, re-adapting its rear end. En route by cab to the wire room at the end of the day the lens was 'mislaid', although its minder arrived safely.
Sceptics might have thought otherwise, but the lens was eventually returned to the press office and several weeks later traveled back across the Atlantic to London. On arrival it was sent for repair in preparation for its assignment with me in a far away land. Its rear end fixed, 'tammy', an accident looking for a disaster, was dispatched by bike to the Ap office in Norwich Street.
The story goes that the bike skidded, throwing rider, bike and lens all over the road. Happily, the courier was not injured; the bike survived. But the lens. Oh dear. The lens was done for. Finally and constructively reshaped in the way of a banana by the sixteen wheels of a passing articulated.
It was my first opportunity to see how such independent chunks of glassware were contsructed and more importantly perhaps, the quality of materials used. Some independent lenses of the period were renowned for particular weaknesses, but this was not Tamron's first big dinner plate 300. A helical focus version had preceded it.
The lens was a write off, but surprisingly after such an impact, the heavy aluminum barrel, badly dented in the middle, was still in one piece. It was likely therefore, that after a fall off the shoulder onto hard concrete, the resulting damage to ends and innards would be slight. I made sure, when the replacement finally arrived, to keep the big lens hood fixed and taped in place.
When I was asked to look at Tamron's latest 300 AF designed for the Canon EOS range, I fully expected to see an old safari green friend, slightly modified to cater for the new technology. In fact, this is a third generation Tamron AF lens and was first shown at photokina last year. Even so, it is in a different league from its predecessors; apparent on first inspection of the artifact as well as its price tag.
I have owned several Tamron lenses over the years, beginning way back in the 60s with a 300mm f/5.6. They have consistently proved to be optically superior to some other brands. This example showed a marked improvement in out of focus areas over its earlier brothers, due no doubt to an improved nine bladed diaphragm forming a near circle at each value setting. This is a multi coated, high contrast optical construction with excellent resolution and sharpness across the frame, especially noticeable in the near to middle distance at around f/4 and f/5.6. Two low dispersion glass elements are used in the front group of this ten element, seven group construction.
Nor is this new lens a lightweight; it weighs in at a staggering 2.4 kilos (98.8ozs) which without the benefit of a monopod soon begins to tell on middle aged weaklings like me. The substantial (and removable) cast tripod bracket weighs little, and I don't imagine the built in auto-focus motor weighs much more. That leaves some of the glass elements and the lens barrel which must, of necessity, provide stability for whopping chunks of the former.
The wide, treaded rubber and brass bound focus ring is accurately placed for thumb and forefinger control. The ring incorporates Tamron's latest snap back and forth switching device to engage AF or manual focus control. I like this system a lot; it gives much better and faster control than the type of independently located focus switches one usually ends up fumbling for. It's a smooth and firm operator in both manual and AF, with non of the slack familiar to some internal focus models I have used. A new ROM chip incorporating faster focus reacting software is also a feature of this lens. Even on an obsolete EOS 620, the lens snapped quickly in and out of focus over a wide range. The distance scale, should you ever have a need to use it, is marked in feet and meters and visible through the now standard plexiglass window. A really secure, push down, twist and lock, drop-in 43mm filter holder features a knurled wheel enabling circular polarising filters to be used.
A substantial and very smooth lockable tripod collar is fitted with massive saftey strap lugs. Alas, this lens has no flat glass filter/protector for the large front element, so expect to add another 100 pounds or so for a 112mm filter. The extra long, turned aluminium and tough polycarbonate lens hood provides some protection from knocks and bangs and is held in place by a pair of neat fold flat, key type screw locks.
The RRP of £2800 might seem uncompetitive compared with some other independents; the differential between this and camera brand versions is smaller, but then, so too is the specification and performance. If I have any reservations at all, it concerns the really superb metallic gloss dark grey paint finish. It looks so good when new. Only time will tell how it stands up to the kind of professional bruising likely to be awarded it.
Copyright: Jonathan Eastland.
This review article was first published in Professional Photographer magazine in 1997.
Visitors, users and viewers of the foregoing content may copy and re-use it in other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following.
Copyright; Jonathan Eastland
www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com 2006.
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2006.
This original content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks , registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.
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