TAMRON - 16-300 mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Canon EF-S - Black - B016E

Product Information

Please comment below if you have any experience with the Tamron or if you have an alternative which you think might be a good match. But there's a fairly long list of downsides too, with image quality at longer focal lengths being perhaps at the top. Sharpness is very high at the wide end when stopped down a little, right across the frame, and that's great for landscapes. At F8, high edge-to-edge sharpness is available up to 100mm or so, but then there's a notable downturn with the edges in particular taking a hit. From 200-300mm, edge sharpness is never very good, not helped by the plentiful levels of chromatic aberration present, but to be fair it stays crisp in the centre. It looks as if Tamron has prioritized central sharpness, on the basis that this is most likely where the main subject will be at longer settings - and as a very rough generalization, that's probably true. One of the great things I really love about the Tamron 16-300mm is its compact design and size. Even though it has a focal range of 16mm–300 mm, it is incredibly easy to handle and has some great features that its competitors don’t have.To get a good idea of just how compact it is, take a look at this comparison photo below.

It’s exceeded our expectations and is a pleasant surprise considering the wide focal range. The low weight and compact design make it an excellent choice for travelers and itinerant photographers. It also feels robust, thanks to its high-quality construction. The balance on the lens is acceptable even when fully extended to 300mm. I attribute this to the relatively slender profile that keeps most of the weight close to the camera and makes this lens very nimble. That being said, you will still definitely know it is attached to your camera. Always practice good camera holding mechanics when using this and other larger lenses in the field for long periods of time.Designed to be an all-in-one lens and ideal for travel, this lens covers an impressive range, starting with a 24.8mm equivalent wide-angle view, this means you should not need to buy an additional wide-angle lens, as you would have with a 18-250/270/300mm lens. This also means you are less likely to get dust or dirt on the mirror, sensor and other parts of the inside of your DSLR. The lens also provides 1:29 macro reproduction and a close focusing distance of 39cm at all focal lengths.

The other two switches are to toggle the AF/MF and VC on/off. The AF/MF switch on the side of the lens makes it easy to switch between the two focusing systems. Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR– Highlights include a fast ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, updated stabilizer, four extra-low dispersion elements, sealed mounting plate, and super ED element. The Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is the World's first 18.8X zoom lens for APS-C sized digital SLR cameras with an impressive 16-300mm zoom range, this gives the equivalent of 24.8mm wide-angle zooming to 465mm. The Tamron AF 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD has a closest focusing distance of 39cm / 15.3in and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.9 at 300mm focal length, so it doubles up as quite a handy macro lens. From architecture and portraits to close-ups and landscapes, this lens does a great job. Optical distortions are noticeable in the middle of the range, but these are easily fixable during post-processing. All in all, the Tamron 16-300mm is a nice upgrade from other cheaper kit lens. It offers stunning image quality and all-in-one versatility that travelers so much desire.

Bear in mind that I’m not a crop shooter (other than my EOS M). I used to shoot a 60D body, but after years of shooting FF bodies, I was surprised by how much noise was present even at lower ISO levels on a 60D and didn’t find the color rendering as complex as my usual bodies (In fact, right before publication I mounted the lens on my EOS M and found the images to be a little cleaner). This is one of those samples: Finally at 300mm, overall performance is reduced a little, but the lens still holds up very well, especially when the huge zoom range is taken into consideration. At f/6.3, sharpness approaches very good levels in the centre of the frameand is fairly good towards the edges. The performance towards the edges of the frame doesn't improve by much with stopping down, but sharpness does reach excellent levels in the centre between f/8 and f/11. Some users cited slight fall-off at the corners, though. The consensus is that the lens is relatively light and easy to carry around. It is also versatile, and unlike other lenses, doesn’t have an issue vignetting. However, some users took issue with the distortion at wider edges, but what lens doesn’t have the same problem? Vibration Compensation is Tamron's version of an image stabiliser. This is a big selling point for the Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD, as neither the Canon or Nikon equivalents offer image stabilisation.

We give Tamron some credit for providing the lens movement a boost by releasing the Zoom Wide Angle Telephoto 28-200mm in 1992. It was specially designed for 35mm cameras (see our full list of the best 35mm film cameras) and universally regarded as the first high-ratio zoom lens. Since then, interchangeable lenses have been released, with the latest ones offering a whopping 33x zoom range. That means the maximum aperture, or maximum amount of light that passes through the lens to the sensor, reduces as you zoom in. At 300mm, for example, this lens’s maximum aperture of f/6.3 lets in around 1.5 stops’ less light than at 16mm f/3.5. The maximum aperture ultimately has an impact on the shutter speeds you can use for an accurate exposure, so if you’re planning to shoot sports or wildlife, for example, where long focal lengths and fast shutter speeds are essential, then you’re going to need very good light to use this lens. That said, the 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro does feature Tamron’s lens-based Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization technology, which enables the use of slower shutter speeds at the telephoto end of the zoom without images suffering from the effects of camera shake. In addition to being reasonably quiet when shooting, this type of motor focuses faster and doesn’t move when focusing. Crop sensor All test images are presented with no alteration in color, sharpness, contrast, or clarity except where indicated. Only small adjustments in exposure were made to test images. Gear used for this review and tests – Canon 7D and a Manfrotto 190 tripod. Let’s talk about all those letters on the side of the lens that were mentioned earlier and go over their meanings. The “Di-II” designation simply means that the lens is intended for use with digital SLR cameras. The “VC” means that the lens is equipped with a vibration compensation (image stabilizer) feature and the “PZD” indicates the lens has Tamron’s proprietary Piezo Drive autofocus mechanism. Fit and FinishThe smaller lens on top is the Tamron 16-300mm. And the giant lens below is the Tamron 150-600mm. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Tamron 150–600mm telephoto lens. However, it is big, bulky, and heavy. In this photo, you can see it is more than double the size of the 16-300 mm Tamron, and much, much harder to carry around and shoot handheld. Chromatic aberration– We did notice quite a bit of CA on some of our images and this is definitely one of the weaker points of this lens. Tamron has done a good job with the optical redesign, increasing focal length at both ends of the scale, and delivering better sharpness than the preceding Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD, even if there's not a great deal in it. Like all superzooms, the Tamron 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro is sharpest at shorter focal lengths, and less so at longer settings. Sharpness Tamron doesn’t go into a lot of detail on the subject of exactly how moisture-resistant the lens is, but there is a rubber skirt around the mount that should seal at least the join with the camera. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro review – In use This is a common feature in telephoto lenses, particularly those with a slow aperture. It helps minimize camera movement and shake while in motion. Manufacturers use different names for this feature; Image Stabilization (Canon), Vibration Reduction (Nikon), Optical Stabilizer (Sigma) and Vibration Compensation (Tamron).

Several weeks ago we received one of the latest lenses from Tamon – the 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD – the longest zoom lens for DSLR currently on the market. We had a chance to spend some time with the lens and here is our take on it. Very good macro capabilities (not a substitute for a real macro lens but pretty good for a lens of its type). Like most lenses nowadays, this one is made from high-grade plastic. The 16-300mm can also hold up in rainy condition as it comes with a sealing gasket. Image stabilization Beyond the 50mm mark, the bending switches to the other way – inwards in the middle – and we enjoy pincushion distortion, the slimming properties of which chubby faces appreciate so much.

Why is Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro better than Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD?

This final shot was taken at Duranbah beach, on Australia’s Gold Coast. It is a wonderful view looking down at this beach during the day and this shot was taken at 225mm, handheld (effectively 360mm). Again, I used Tamron’s Vibration Control system to stabilize the image and the sharpness throughout the frame is fantastic. The build of the lens seems solid enough, and there’s not too much wobble when the three-part barrel is fully extended. The supplied hood is a little squidgy, but that flexibility may well protect it from breaking when under pressure. The focal range of the Tamron AF 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is extremely broad. It's possible to encompass a large amount of photographic styles when using a lens such as this.