Review: Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 DI III VC VXD

You use the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 DI III VC VXD with Sony's full-frame E-mount cameras and Fujifilm's Fuji X-mount cameras. What stands out about this lens is its impressive zoom range and near-perfect image quality. That makes the lens suitable for nature photography, sports photography and shooting over long distances. Want to know more about the Tamron 150-500mm? We tested it for you and wrote this review.

The Tamron 150-500mm in short:

• Suitable for photographing birds, athletes and macro photography
• Ultra-telephoto zoom lens for full-frame E-mount and Fuji X-mount cameras
• VXD AF motor for fast and precise focusing
• Flex Zoom Lock mechanism for locking any zoom position

Design

This Tamron lens is moisture-resistant and has a protective coating so that dust and dirt adhere less easily. That's handy when you're out and about with the lens. Without the supplied tripod collar, the lens weighs 1725 grams, and extended (500mm) it's 283 millimetres long. For a telephoto lens, that's certainly not large or heavy, so it's easy to take with you.

A lens hood is also included, and the rubber bumper ring on the hood lets you stand the lens upright without damaging it. The lens also has a switch to change between autofocus and manual focus, and a slider to turn image stabilisation on and off. All sliders and switches are located below the zoom ring, which makes it easy to adjust the settings quickly while shooting.

Zoom range

The widest setting of the lens is 150mm, which means you could also use the Tamron at this setting for intimate portraits or outdoor photography, for example for subjects a little further away. Zoom in further, and it also becomes possible to capture wildlife at great distances or buildings far away. What also strikes us is how sharp the lens stays and how much detail you can see in the photos, both at 150mm and beyond. Deeper into the zoom range, you can capture subjects such as wildlife and distant skyscrapers.

Zoom-Flex Lock

The Tamron 150-500mm features a so-called Zoom-Flex Lock. This function lets you lock the lens at any focal length you want. This is very handy when you're shooting upwards or downwards, for example if you want to quickly capture a bird flying over. This feature also makes the lens suitable for panning. With this technique, you capture a moving subject while moving the camera along with it. The result is that the subject is sharp, while the surroundings (which are actually standing still) appear blurred with motion. Handy and fun for capturing flying birds, moving cars or aircraft.

VXD AF motor

The Tamron also has a VXD AF motor (which stands for Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive linear motor). This motor provides continuous, fast and sharp autofocus. The motor also reduces the drive noise and vibrations caused during focusing. That makes the lens ideal in environments where you want to be as quiet as possible, for example when capturing wild and shy animals.

Conclusion

The Tamron is a perfect lens for different types of photographers. Whether you love capturing aircraft, head out to photograph birds or are a fan of macro photography, the Tamron 150-500mm can do it all. The sturdy, dirt-repellent body and compact size also stand out when you consider the 500mm zoom and the AF motor. In short: the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 DI III VC VXD can take you anywhere!