Canon Reviews

I bought this lens over the canon 75-300mm lens because this model was much cheaper and has macro capability. I took it on vacation and took many outdoor and indoor photos with my Canon Rebel 2000 and I was very pleased. The pictures were brilliant and crisp at even full telephoto. You will not be dissapointed with this lens.

I purchased Tamron AF 70-300mm LD lens for Canon over a month ago. The first roll of film was a bit of disappointing. I liked colors but some pictures lacked sharpness (fuzzy). After that I purchased introduction photography book published by Kodak and read it. Gained knowledge was invalueable. I used tripod and Kodak Gold 200 color print film. Pictures were developed on 5x7 photographs at York Photo Labs. All pictures of second roll turned out very nice and sharp (especially considering 200 film on 5x7 pictures). I even made picture of caterpillar in macro mode at 300 mm and f/8 and this turned out very nice as well. All pictures (including ones taken at focal length of 300 mm) turned out very nice. Ultra telephoto lens is demanding but wide-angle lens is forgiving. You have to consider it when you use telephoto lens. You need solid technique; otherwise, you might be disappointed if you take handheld pictures with lower shutter speeds. It is pretty hard to make sharp pictures even at 1/250 shutter speed and 200mm. Tripod works well though. The larger focal length the harder it gets. I would not feel comfortable with anything slower than 1/250s. Some people mentioned that f/8 gives better results. That is true pretty much for any lens. But at this aperture you need tripod when using ISO 100 films unless you are in sun. If you can't use tripod but you want to use this lens then you might use faster films (IS0 200 or ISO 400) to reduce camera shake. Build quality is good and great warranty gives you peace of mind. Customer service is quick too (don't worry my lens is not broken but I had some technical questions to Tamron). This lens is also sold as Nikon AF 70-300mm ED and users seem to enjoy it as well (even though they pay 100$ more). Focusing is kind of slow, especially in low-light conditions and at larger focal lengths (i.e. 300 mm). You can't blame lens for it because camera does focusing. At this low amount of light and narrow angle (7 degrees - camera gets not much lights through lens). It is not Tamron but nature of telephoto lens. This is why camera haunts in low-light conditions. Lens comes with lens hood (lens shade) so you don't have to buy one for this lens. Overall, I am very pleased with pictures and expect even better pictures on ISO 100 films and 4x6 prints. Use tripod as much as possible. Also cable release is recommended to reduce camera shake. Great lens for the money. Period.

I bought this as my second lens for a new Canon ELAN 7e/EOS body. Being an experienced photographer, I liked what I saw, right away. It comes with a nice metal reversible lens hood, and I also got a free 1.4 teleconverter from Tamron. It felt good, and mounted securely and easily to the camera. I first shot a few rolls of closeups. I put it on a tripod, used 400ASA and 800ASA film, and was very pleased with what I got. Good macro lens! I have used it for hundreds of photos in varying situations since then, and not been disappointed. It's not a 'fast' lens, but quite good for the price. I highly recommend using fast film, i.e. 800ASA or better. Professional news/newspaper photographers use 800 or better almost exclusively. It's good film, and allows you to use a slower lens, like this one, with few drawbacks. If you use this lens for photos you intend to enlarge to say 8" X 10" or better, stick with slide film, at a slow speed, under 100ASA. A tripod will be essential of course, but this lens will give you the sharpness that slow film is meant for. Buy a good multicoated filter to screw on, and always use the lens cover, and you should be happy for years with this lens. I have used Tamron for over 2 decades, and I think they make some excellent lenses for the money.
The only reason I won't give it a 5 star rating is due to is 'slowness', having only an F4 rating. This is not a criticism of the lens, just a function of how much you spend. It is a 5 star lens when looked at in terms of price/value.

I purchased Tamron AF 70-300mm LD lens for Canon over a month ago. The first roll of film was a bit of disappointing. I liked colors but some pictures lacked sharpness (fuzzy). After that I purchased introduction photography book published by Kodak. I used tripod and Kodak Gold 200 color print film. Pictures were developed on 5x7 photographs at York Labs. All pictures of second roll turned out very nice and sharp (especially considering 200 film on 5x7 pictures). I even made picture of caterpillar in macro mode at 300 mm and f/8 and this turned out very nice as well. All pictures (including ones taken at focal length of 300 mm) turned out very nice. Ultra telephoto lens is demanding but wide-angle lens is forgiving. You have to consider it when you use telephoto lens. You need solid technique; otherwise, you might be disappointed if you take handheld pictures with lower shutter speeds. It is pretty hard to make sharp pictures even at 1/250 shutter speed and 200mm. Tripod works well though. The larger focal length the harder it gets. I would not feel comfortable with anything slower than 1/250s. Some people mentioned that f/8 gives better results. That is true pretty much for any lens. But at this aperture you need tripod when using ISO 100 films unless you are in sun. If you can't use tripod but you want to use this lens then you might use faster films (IS0 200 or ISO 400) to reduce camera shake. Build quality is good and great warranty gives you peace of mind. Customer service is quick too (don't worry my lens is not broken but I had some technical questions to Tamron). This lens is also sold as Nikon AF 70-300mm ED and users seem to enjoy it as well (even though they pay 100$ more). Focusing is kind of slow, especially in low-light conditions and at larger focal lengths (i.e. 300 mm). You can't blame lens for it because camera does focusing. At this low amount of light and narrow angle (7 degrees - camera gets not much lights through lens). It is not Tamron but nature of telephoto lens. This is why camera haunts in low-light conditions. Lens comes with lens hood (lens shade) so you don't have to buy one for this lens. Overall, I am very pleased with pictures and expect even better pictures on ISO 100 films and 4x6 prints. Great lens for the money. Period.

Edit: After almost a year of using it, I am pleased with this camera. Lens is a bit heavy compared to my fixed 50mm lens (but it is 300mm lens so it is to be expected). Best candit shots are taken when people are not aware of camera.

One of the influencing reasons I entered the world of SLRs was so I could have a variety of lenses to suit different needs. I bought this lens as a package deal that included the Canon Rebel 2000 body and the basic Tamron 28-80mm lens. The reason I chose this lens was based a lot on its price. I knew that I wouldn't be using this lens non-stop, nor would I demand the quality of a [lens] with the same range. But I wanted a lens that I could carry around and be ready for that long shot. It has served me very well, and I have taken some great pictures with it.

I think every photographer with an SLR camera should have a lens that can go to this range. It has come in handy many times, with good results. For example, I recently took a trip to Australia. For about 95% of the time I used the 28-80mm lens, but there were a few occasions where I was so glad I had a lens that can go to 300mm. We went to Rainbow Beach, a popular tourist spot, where our guide spotted some whales off in the ocean. Everyone grabbed their camera, and I whipped out this lens and got ready. At 300mm the pictures turned out great, and the whales can be seen at a size that dwarfs how they would have been at 80mm. I felt so sorry for the people taking pictures with a point and shoot without a zoom. They wouldn't see a thing in their pictures!

One more time this lens came in handy was for taking pictures of birds. At South Molle Island we had the chance to see hundreds of lorikeets, very colorful birds native to Australia (I think). Anyway, we could get very close to the birds as they were fed. With the 100-30033 lens I was able to get great pictures of frame-filling birds. I am so happy I had this lens handy.

When you buy this lens though, don't expect the sharpest results. The picture quality is a little iffy at the larger focal lengths. You can probably find some lens tests online that compare it to others. But what makes me recommend this lens to you is just the fact that you should have a lens that can give you these kinds of pictures no matter what kind of photographer you are. And the rather cheap price is just another benefit.

I find this Tamron 28-300mm zoom lens a convenient all pupose lens that I always keep on my D60 to capture just about any candid or elected opportunity that may arise while walking or driving around Honolulu or while I'm traveling for business or vacation. I like the convenience of the Tamron's ability to capture what's essentially the full spectrum of my everyday quick "point and shoot" spontaneous photo opportunities, far, near, and everything in between. The quality is good, however, in the event I really need to squeeze out all of the clarity possible from edge to edge then I'll mount one of my Canon lens that's matched to the situation.

I've got a somewhat small basic lens collection that, as the situation/time permits, I'll mount for a more defined "close to perfect" shot. This set consists of a Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L USM, a Canon EF 28-70mm f2.8L USM, Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM, a Canon EF 35-350MM F3.5-5.6L USM, and a Sigma 50-500mm f4-6.3 EX APO RF HSM.

This Tamron is very compact and light which made it comfortable when I recently took it on a photo shoot to Volcanoes National Park to get pictures of the latest lava flows. We had to walk in about an hour and a half over some pretty treacherous, sharp and jagged hardened lava to arrive at the area where the spectacular flows were dropping into the sea and creating new land masses.

Tamron makes lenses that are inexpensive alternatives to name brand choices. Along with Sigma and Tokina, the "Big Three" third party manufactures compete for a share of the lens market. Tamron has recently ventured into the 28-200 and even 28-300 realm. The versatility that these focal lengths give, when included in the same lens, is tremendous. However, as with anything, there is generally a trade off. In this case, the user is sacrificing sharpness, speed, and photographic quality for convenience and versatility.

Positives:
Covers the 28-200mm range - unless you photograph wide landscapes (<28mm) or wildlife/sports (>200mm) this would ideally be the only lens you need
Very compact and lightweight
Internal focusing allows you to place filters on the lens without end-of-lens rotation

Negatives:
Very soft at the 200mm range with distortion throughout the zoom range
3.5-5.6 means you have a slower lens throughout the zoom range as well
Not a good lens for enlargement over 5x8 or even 4x6 under some circumstances

Overall, this would make a great lens for someone looking for a lightweight single lens to take with him or her to capture almost every type of shot available. This would not make a good lens for anyone aspiring to take great photographs, where sharpness, flare, and distortion are key concerns. I suggest you try it out if possible to see if you notice the issues listed above. If you like the results, then by all means, keep the lens. For the price, 28-200m coverage is a great thing.

Thanks for your time...

If I ever became a contestant on Survivor (the TV show) and I could only take one camera lens with me, this would be the one.

Even though I own a wider angle (19-35mm) and a more telephoto (80-300mm) zoom, this lens encompasses 90% of my shooting needs. It has 28mm for scenics, 100-135mm for portraits, and 200mm for close-ups and action photography. (The 200mm length is also great for girl watching in the summer time, pictures of which I use to dress up my vacation photo albums.)

The lens has separate rings for focusing and zooming, but since my SLR camera is autofocus, I just leave my (left hand) fingers on the zoom ring and let my shutter release finger control the focusing.

The compact size of the lens makes it very portable. And having such a wide range of focal lengths means I don't have to worry about missing a shot -- because I'm caught changing camera lenses.

If you're planning to buy a new SLR or are looking for a new lens, please be sure to put this fine optical instrument at the top of your shopping list.

I got a great Canon Elan IIe from ebay but no lens and not much money left. I knew I'd never have a bag full of lenses so I looked for the best all-around useful lens.

This is it!

Upside: 1)Great range of focal lengths 2)Pretty fast for the range and for the money. There are faster lenses out there but nowhere near the price. 3)Rugged

Downside: 1)Heavy 2)You must be at least 7 feet away to focus. That's not usually a problem because you can zoom in so tight but if you're shooting in a home sometimes it is akward to get back far enough. 3)There are now lenses with even greater range of focal length

If you want to put a great lens on your Canon and never, ever have to fuss this is a lens for you.

If you're on a photo shoot and don't want to lug around a lot of lenses this is a great one (however, it does get heavy on long hikes).

I've never regretted buying this lens. And I've never thought, "You know, if I would have spent a little more I could have got a whole lot better."

This has satisfied in every way.

I recently tried this zoom at a camera store. It's distance is amazing, though it is also very cheap so it delivers an amatuer interface. The lens makes pictures much, darker ruining some of your shots that you take inside, but other than that its a great lens. I an no pro but if you have the extra cash go for a better Tamron 75-300 or a 28-200 Sigma.

I highly recommend this lens for amateurs like me, but if your a pro then forget about it!