Camera Lenses

Tamron now offers a lightweight, compact, high-image-quality telephoto zoom lens with macro capability of 1:2 that can be used with digital cameras. This new lens is a Di type lens using an optical system with improved multi-coating designed to function with digital SLR cameras as well as film cameras. With this 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, flipping a macro switch in the focal length range of 180mm to 300mm obtains a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 at a minimum focus distance as short as 37.4", enabling close-up shots of flowers, insects, and other objects that normally require the use of a specially designed macro lens. Moreover, this is a zoom lens that casually offers the distant capture and foreshortening effect pleasures of the 300mm ultra-telephoto world.

User Reviews about Tamron AF 70-300mm f 4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

I purchased this lens nearly four years ago. Once I understood how I could use it, my frustrations decreased and my productivity increased. It is strictly for OUTDOOR USE ONLY. I've used it for sporting events and I managed to steal a couple of good shots from it. It does work satisfactorily on sunny days. However, cloudy days will reduce your shutter by 1 to 1.5 stops. The difference is enough to render the lens nearly useless or you must crank up the ISO. Nevertheless, the small aperture and the snail-like focusing speed does not lend itself to sports photography.

I primarily use it for Macro photography. It excels in that area. Using a tripod and the manual focus allows me to get pretty good images. Although the focusing distance with Macro is approximately three feet, you can still fill the frame with flowers and their petals with the 300mm zoom.

It is a good travel lens and it can work as a portrait lens as well by isolating the subject and providing a decent bokeh.

The lens does not excel in any particular area. It provides you with the opportunity to try different areas of photography and as you grow you can upgrade to lenses that provide better quality but not the versatility. Considering the lens is less than $200, you can create great images with the understanding of what it can do and what it cannot.

I've had it for four years and I'm starting to get Err99 messages. With that said, I plan to purchase another one as well. -- Understand it's limitations and work within them

I love the lens, the quality of images is great, and the price was good too -- bonjour

I am relatively new to the SLR picture taking world. All along i have been using point and shoot and was never much into photography until i bought my first Canon rebel XS. The canon came with a 18-55mm standard lens. The canon lens was alright with not much WOW factor to it. I bought the tamron lens so that i could have a better range on my pictures and i was happily surprised by the picture quality. The Tamron lens took sharper and more realistic pictures as compared to the 18-55mm canon lens. I have not used any other brands so to me the Tamron lens is very well made and well worth the money i paid for it (Amazon - $164) Overall it was a very good buy and with the 6 years warranty, this deal beats all. I will definitely look into getting another Tamron for my next lens. -- Good lens for the money

I'd forgotten I had this lens until a couple of weeks ago. It was in a bottom compartment of my camera bag. I pulled it out one night having forgotten what it was, realized I hadn't shot with it in several years, slapped it on my 40D and haven't had it off since (three weeks, now)!

I love this lens. I've had none of the problems mentioned in the negative reviews, except occasional slight CA in some shots. Consistently sharp -- even at 300mm. Even hand-held! Terrific depth of field control and bokeh. Solid color rendering. Beautiful "macro" (actually, near-macro) effects.

Sure, I've got "better" more expensive lenses. But for one piece of general all-purpose daily walk-around glass that's ready for virtually ANY situation from insect to human portrait to telephoto action and wildlife and landscape shots -- at this remarkable price point -- this lens can't be beat without paying twice (or far more) as much. -- Oldie but goodie . . .

I bought this lens just to capture a moon shot (a newb had to do it). I did a comparison with Sigma and Canon but since I am a cheap-o I settled with this one. Under optimal conditions, i.e. clear sky, preferred moon phase, use of tripod and shutter release cable, the photo that I captured is pretty impressive. The details of the moons' surface is remarkable and there is very little chromatic aberration. I live in Seattle where the rain never stops and so when it is cloudy or foggy at night, the shots that I captured would need a whole lot of post-processing.

I've also tried it using the macro mode and boy it produces silky smooth bokeh! I've yet to experiment more on this feature.

The down side is this lens is really heavy and huge. DSLR cameras are bulky and this lens adds up to the bulkiness. Don't get too frustrated though. The quality of pictures you get outweighs this disadvantage imo.

Overall, I think it is worth the price and a good upgrade from your kit lens. -- Picture quality and price outweighs bulkiness and grating sound