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

Product Information

That makes it a good choice for photographers who want to shoot a range of subjects, from architecture to sports, without having to continually switch lenses. The downside of such superzoom lenses, however, is that they can only offer a “slow” variable maximum aperture to ensure they are both affordable and relatively lightweight. I have just acquired of these lenses for my EOS 70D. I have been trying out some shots at 300mm. Very close up, macro, I get good sharp results, but further away (say 2m) it gets much softer in comparison (both centre frame). I have used a tripod, indoors to avoid any breeze, using contrast based focus and also manual focus (which allows a x10 on the LCD for precise adjustment, though auto is very good). I have tried from F6.3 up to F22, with best results at F8. ISO 100 and speed adjusted accordingly (but on tripod). VC mode off as on tripod. I have viewed both jpg and raw (no difference really). See attached in both macro and at 2m (ish), though I may need to post enlarged. Mediocre image quality wide open with a lot of Chromatic aberration (stopped down there is a significant improvement at f/9-f/11).

This is actually the first time that we are reviewing a Tamron lens here on LensVid and we were quite pleasantly surprised by the good build quality of the 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD. Despite the fact that this is not a professional (or even semi pro) lens, it was pretty well made (it is manufactured in China), the zoom and focus rings feels good with nice tolerance and feel (the focus ring is narrow but doesn’t have any unpleasant movement like we have on the old Nikon 18-105mm for example). The 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD has a metal mount unlike some cheap kit lenses.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? As is usual with these mega-zooms, we are faced with the long-end focal lengths that are not always practical to use, as the maximum working aperture when we set the lens to 300mm is f/6.3. Requiring a shutter speed of 1/300sec to keep away from the effects of camera shake, we often need to increase our ISO to levels uncomfortable for the subject matter. However, in this model the application of Vibration Compensation is of great assistance, and often during this test it made the difference between a sharp and clear image, and one that would have been neither. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro review – Image quality 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. The Nikon and Canon versions of the lens have Tamron’s Vibration Compensation (VC) system, and these and the Sony-fitted model (which will be introduced at some time in the future) feature the so-far excellent Piezo Drive (PZD) near-silent and fast AF motor.

Not only have Tamron delivered a lens that offers a uniquely huge zoom range, but they've managed to make one that performs well, is well specified, and is good value too. The overall build quality and finish are impressive. Its zoom and focusing rings have a great feel. The lens feels very solid in hand and fits securely to the camera with no rattles or gaps. All of the on-lens controls are very crisp in their function and are well placed for easy no-look operation. We compared the lens to the closest one that we had at the time – the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED which has the same maximum focal length although it has a much smaller zoom (and a 5/.6 max aperture). We were most interested in the performance of the 16-300mm on the long telephoto side (but as you will see we also made some tests on the wide side). You can see the results below:

User reviews

Let’s say, for example, that a new DSLR buyer’s last camera was a superzoom compact, which sported a 25x or even 50x zoom ratio. That 18-55mm kit lens on their new DSLR is going to feel awfully confining! I remember the first time I twisted the zoom lens while looking through the viewfinder of my new Rebel and thought, “That’s it?” If this is you, then I’ve got very good news for you. The new Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro offers a big enough zoom range for just about anyone…and the biggest zoom range for any DSLR lens to date. At wider focal lengths, sharpness is excellent in the center, and across the frame at around F5.6-8. As focal length is increased, sharpness reduces, taking more of a hit towards the edges where it's decidedly soft above 200mm. F8 is the overall optimum aperture and will always deliver decent sharpness in the centre, even at 300mm. Chromatic Aberration The lens features 16 elements in its optical path. The arrangement includes LD (Low Dispersion), XR (eXtra Refractive) and ASL (Hybrid Aspherical) elements, along with multi-coatings. Tamron’s VC (Vibration Compensation) system is also featured, which gives optical image stabilization to the tune of around 4 stops. Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

The Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is an impressive technological achievement. It is currently the longest zoom lens on the market with a very impressive 16mm wide angle and a 300mm max range – giving it close to 19x zoom. Besides the zoom range the Tamron is very well made and does not feel cheap at all. It is also small, light and compact and pretty ideal for taking on a trip if you need a very flexible focal range but don’t want to carry more than one lens. 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.While there are certainly advantages to using an APS-C sensor, there will also be costs in having a zoom with such a range. Unfortunately, the laws of optics dictate that some of those costs will be higher in a lens designed for APS-C sensors than they are for those designed for the thumbnail-sized sensors of the original bridge models. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro review – Build and handling