Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Review

The Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is a good lens with respectable image quality, build quality, and price. It doesn’t reach the lofty heights of the best zooms that we’ve ever tested, but it’s hardly the worst, either.

As a landscape photographer, I enjoyed using this lens. In particular, the telephoto focal lengths are one of the strengths of the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3, and I love those focal lengths for abstract landscape work. If Tamron had released this lens for the Z system a few years ago, I very likely would have added it to my bag where my Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 currently sits.

That said, there are still some weaknesses with this lens that stood out to me. On the handling side of things, I don’t like the minimalist design and wish it had more controls. As for image quality, the vignetting levels are pretty high, and corner sharpness around 100mm could use some improvement.

In short, there is definitely still room for a dedicated Nikon Z 70-300mm zoom with a variable aperture. Nikon could provide an upgrade over the Tamron lens by adding vibration reduction and improving upon the weaker optical areas.

Pros

• One of the lightest full-frame telephoto zooms available
• Great weather sealing
• Dedicated USB C port for future firmware updates
• Central sharpness is high at every focal length
• Sharpness across the frame is strong at longer focal lengths

Cons

• Lacking any controls, apart from the required zoom and focus rings
• Plastic construction feels worse than the plastic of some other lenses
• Does not focus as closely as most telephoto zooms
• Corner sharpness around 100mm is a weak point

Neutral

• Chromatic aberration, vignetting, distortion, and bokeh are all about average for this type of lens

What type of photographer would benefit from the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3? On one hand, the narrow maximum aperture of f/6.3 limits the lens’s utility for low-light sports and wildlife photography at 300mm. However, it makes for a great landscape/travel lens because of its light weight and small size. After pairing the 70-300mm with a lightweight midrange zoom, you’ll be covered for all sorts of situations without weighing yourself down.

The real question with the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 is its value. For $550 (Sony version) or $700 (Nikon version), do you get what you pay for? I think that the Sony version is priced right, while the Nikon version is more expensive than it should be. Maybe that’s why Tamron continues to put this lens on sale. At the time I’m publishing this review, it’s actually $500 for the Sony version and $600 for the Nikon version. If those prices are what you’re spending, I think that either version is a good value.

If you’d like to buy the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3, you can support our extensive testing efforts at Photography Life by buying it through the B&H or eBay Partner Program affiliate links below:

• Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD at B&H – Check Price and Current Sales

This lens also sells for good prices on the used market. For photographers who are putting together a budget kit, it’s definitely worth considering:

• Used Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD at eBay – Check Used Prices

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I hope you found this review to be useful! Let me know in the comment section on the following page if you have any questions about the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3, and I’ll do what I can to answer.