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

Introduction

The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 is a budget supertelephoto zoom lens currently available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fuji X mirrorless cameras. Despite the substantial 500mm focal length, the lens is relatively lightweight and small. It’s significantly more portable than either the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 or the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3, which are arguably its two closest competitors.

Granted, the maximum focal length favors the Nikon and the Sony. I wouldn’t say that the differences between 500mm and 600mm are night and day, but it’s enough to put a few more megapixels on distant subjects. And as you’ll see throughout this review, that’s not the only small compromise of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7.

However, there’s still a lot to like about this lens, and the biggest points in its favor – price, size, and weight – are especially appealing. The exact price varies by lens mount, but it’s always lower than name-brand alternatives: $1200 for Nikon Z, $1400 for Sony E, and $1500 for Fuji X. In today’s review, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 and whether it’s the right lens for you.

This review at Photography Life is a joint effort. Like always, I tested the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 in the lab to bring you measurements of sharpness, chromatic aberration, vignetting, and distortion. Then my friend Adam Sheridan brought the lens on a safari in Botswana and Zimbabwe to bring you the sample photos in this review.

Normally, I test lenses myself both in the lab and in the field, but I think you’ll agree that the wildlife photos here were worth changing things up a bit! Most of the handling-related impressions are Adam’s, and most of the image quality notes are mine. Adam will also publish a separate article tomorrow that dives into the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 compared to his usual Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3.

Build Quality

The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 feels sturdy and well-built while holding it. Even though it’s a third-party budget lens, it doesn’t feel like it. The materials and tolerances all give off a positive impression.

This is also a pretty light lens, at least considering the zoom range. Including the tripod collar, the Tamron’s weight ranges from 1865 grams to 1880 grams depending on the lens mount (4.11 to 4.14 pounds). This is noticeably lighter than the alternatives. For example, the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 weighs 2140 grams (4.72 pounds), and the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G weighs 2245 grams (4.95 pounds).

Even more than the weight difference, it’s the size difference that stood out to me. The Tamron is only 8.4 inches long when fully retracted (21 centimeters). This is much smaller than the Nikon Z 180-600mm (12.4 inches / 31.5 cm) or the Sony 200-600mm (12.6 inches / 32.0 cm). The small size and weight makes the Tamron uniquely suited to carrying overseas or fitting in a backpack with other gear.

Another big positive of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 is that its tripod foot is already Arca-Swiss compatible. This means you don’t need to deal with the extra hassle of buying a replacement foot or attaching a separate Arca-Swiss plate. It’s a useful feature that some smaller lens companies have embraced (Tamron, Sigma, and OM System among them), while the big three are still lacking (Canon, Sony, and Nikon).

However, not everything is perfect about the build quality of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7. A noteworthy drawback is that this is an externally-zooming lens, where the inner barrel extends as you zoom in. This design is hardly unique to the Tamron, but especially for a supertelephoto that you may want to use in dusty or rainy conditions, it isn’t ideal.

By comparison, the Nikon Z 180-600mm and the Sony FE 200-600mm are both internally-zooming lenses. This does contribute to their larger sizes, but it also makes them more versatile tools in bad weather.

Handling

The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 has some handling-related issues that you should know about before buying. The first may sound very simple, but it’s something that grew pretty annoying over time: the lens hood.

In order to make the most of this lens’s small size while traveling, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up reversing the lens hood regularly. Then you’ll want to quickly re-attach the hood in the usual direction for shooting. The problem is that the hood on the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 simply doesn’t attach very easily.

There are two reasons for the issue. First, the hood can only be locked in two spots, unlike many lens hoods that can be locked in four. Second, the locking tabs themselves are very small, and it’s easy to miss them while the lens hood rotates at some odd angle and doesn’t actually lock. Maybe I’m just being picky, but this contributed to a more frustrating experience using the lens.

Another handling-related issue with this lens is how easy it was to engage the zoom locking mechanism by accident. On the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7, the zoom ring locks when you push it forward with slight pressure. This is intended to be a feature, but it felt more like a malfunction. I found it very easy to accidentally press the ring forward while zooming in, locking it temporarily in place. Granted, it didn’t take long to unlock again – but if you’re trying to quickly zoom into a distant animal, even a couple of missed seconds can make a big difference.

Apart from those two issues, I had no problems with the handling of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7. The lens has ample controls and switches, giving you easy access to the most important focusing-related settings. Finally, the image stabilization system worked well, functioning just as smoothly as a first-party lens. It really is just the strange lens hood and the zoom locking mechanism that annoyed me about the lens’s handling.

Because the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 has a USB port, it is possible to update the firmware or otherwise calibrate the lens using Tamron’s lens utility.

Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Specifications

• Full Name: Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD (Sony version is A057, Nikon is A057Z, Fuji is A057X)
• Mount Type: Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fuji X mounts
• Focal Length: 150mm to 500mm (3.3× zoom)
• Angle of View (Full Frame): 16°25′ to 4°57′
• Maximum Aperture: f/5 at 150mm; f/6.7 at 500mm
• Minimum Aperture: f/22 at 150mm; f/32 at 500mm
• Aperture Blades: 7, rounded
• Filter Size: 82mm
• Lens Elements: 25
• Lens Groups: 16
• Special Elements: 1 extra-low dispersion, 5 low-dispersion, 2 hybrid aspherical
• Anti-Flare Coatings: BBAR-G2 coating on every element
• Fluorine Coated Front Element: Yes
• Electronic Diaphragm: Yes
• Vibration Compensation: Yes
• Internal Focusing: Yes
• Control Rings: Zoom and focus
• Function Button: No
• Internal Zooming: No
• Focus Motor: VXD linear focus motor
• Minimum Focus Distance: 60 cm (24 inches) at 150mm; 180 cm (71 inches) at 500mm
• Maximum Magnification: 0.32× (1:3.1) at 150mm; 0.27x (1:3.7) at 500mm
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
• Length: 210mm for Sony, 212mm for Nikon, 210mm for Fuji (8.3, 8.4, and 8.3 inches)
• Diameter: 93mm, all versions (3.7 inches)
• Weight: 1880g for Sony, 1875g for Nikon, 1865g for Fuji (4.14, 4.13, and 4.11 lbs)
• MSRP: $1400 for Sony, $1200 for Nikon, $1500 for Fuji
• Lowest Sale Seen: $1200 (check current price)

I should note that the maximum aperture progression on the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 is nice and smooth. It’s f/5 at 150mm, f/5.3 at 200mm, f/5.6 at 300mm, f/6.3 at 400mm, and f/6.7 at 500mm. This is better than some other zooms that quickly drop when you zoom in a little.

Finally, keep in mind that the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 is not compatible with teleconverters.

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”: