Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Powerful portable telephoto for Sony E-mount

- Matthew Richards

Specifications

Mount: Sony E (full-frame and APS-C)

Lens construction: 25 elements in 16 groups

Angle of view: 5-16.5°

Diaphragm blades: 7

Autofocus: Yes

Image stabilisation: Yes

Min aperture: f/22-32

Max magnification: 0.32-0.27X

Min focusing distance: 0.6-1.8m

Filter size: 82mm

Dimensions (L x D): 210 x 93mm

Weight: 1,725g (lens): 155g (tripod collar)

1 The 150-500mm has a linear stepping motor, unlike the DSLR 150-600mm

2 The optical stabiliser presents operating modes that can be switched between.

3 This optic looks similar to the 150-600mm DSLR lens, but it's quite different.

Аt first glance, the Tamron 150-500mm looks and similar to its DSLR-format 150-600mm G2 sibling. The range of switches, for triple-mode VC (Vibration Compensation), auto/manual focusing and an autofocus range limiter, is pretty much identical. Unlike many other Tamron lenses, the 'VC' optical stabiliser has switchable operating modes: Modes 1 and 2 are for static and panning shots respectively; Mode 3 is a 'framing priority' option that only applies stabilisation during actual exposures. This makes it easier to track erratically moving objects in the camera's viewfinder or on the rear screen, similar to Mode 3 on some Canon telephoto lenses and Nikon's 'Sport VR' mode.