Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Brand: Tamron
• Model: AF017M-700
• Released on: 2006-03-08
• Dimensions: 4.10" h x 4.10" w x 5.30" l, 1.25 pounds

Features

• 70-300mm macro lens with f/4-5.6 maximum aperture for digital or 35mm cameras
• Easy-to-use macro switch lets you alternate between 180mm and 300mm focal lengths
• Minimum focus distance of 59 inches from subject (normal) or 37.4 inches (macro)
• 9-blade circular diaphragm provides beautiful soft-focus imagery; 62mm filter diameter
• Measures 3 inches in diameter and 4.6 inches long; weighs 15.3 ounces

Amazon.com Product Description
It's never been easier to capture great action shots than with the Tamron AF 70-300mm macro lens. Delivering superior image quality for both digital SLRs and 35mm film cameras, this flexible lens lets you zoom in extra close when shooting moving subjects, such as athletes on the field or children running or playing. When used with a digital camera, the lens does even better, producing a super-telephoto 35mm equivalent of 465mm--unbeatable in almost any other lens.

Macro Switch
The lens offers an easy-to-use macro switch that lets you alternate between the 180mm and 300mm focal lengths, letting you enjoy true macro photography with a telephoto effect at a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2. The minimum focus distance, meanwhile, is 59 inches from the subject in normal shooting ranges, but when you flip the switch, you can get as close as 37.4 inches. And as an added bonus, the lens boasts a nine-blade circular diaphragm that provides beautiful soft-focus imagery for a professional result. Now you can showcase all your photographic talent with close-up shots of small flowers and insects in parks or in the wild, or any other beautiful small object you discover.

Coatings
Tamron has also adopted various countermeasures against ghosting and flare, common problems in digital photography. The lens employs internal surface coating and new multilayer coating technology to minimize reflections that occur when light enters through the front element, while also reducing image-degrading effects caused by the imagers themselves. The strictest quality control standards were also applied to increase resolution performance and prevent flare due to aberrations, resulting in a telephoto zoom lens ideal for photography with digital SLR cameras. This is one lens you can use with confidence.

• Lens construction: 9 groups and 13 elements
• Diagonal angle of view: 34 to 8 degrees (at 21 to 15 feet)
• Type of zooming: Rotation
• Diaphragm blade number: 9
• Minimum aperture: f/32
• Minimum focus distance: 59 inches in normal setting; 37.4 inches in macro mode
• Macro magnification ratio: 1:2
• Filter diameter: 62mm
• Accessory: Lens hood
• Dimensions: 3 inches in diameter and 4.6 inches long
• Weight: 15.3 ounces

Customer Reviews

Good value in this updated design.
The new Di lenses from Tamron are designed to work well with digital cameras, although those with the Di will work for 35mm as well (Di-II only work with smaller, APS-C chip size digital cameras). This is an improvement on the fine 70-300 LD (Low Dispersion glass) design. The major improvements in this lens are in the coatings, to help reduce any color bias, and minimize reflections. Additionally, lens manufacturers are doing more inside the barrels to reduce reflections.

Like the older LD design, the new lens has a close-up mode (not strictly "macro") position that allows images 1/2 lifesize on the negative. That's about twice the size of most 300mm zooms lacking this feature.

If you're buying this for one of the new Sony Alpha series, this might be your best bet. The Tamron will include a 6-year USA warranty. It also includes the lens hood. The Sony 75-300 is repackaging of the older Konica-Minolta 75-300 lens, a lens that hit the market before any KM digital SLRs.

Does better than the more expensive lens
This lens is great. Don't let the price fool you, it's a great performer with quality components. Unlike some other lenses making claimes of quality, Tamron continues to deliver. Japanese parts, glass, electronics. Unlike the other guys, Tamron actually licenses the Minolta/Sony software so they can program good compatible and reliable code that works perfectly with Konica/Minolta/Sony (also Cannon and Olympus) cameras. The other top sellers reverse engineer their code, so who knows what you are getting. The other reviewer gives a good description of the DI and 'close-up' mode, which works extremely well. Check out his review.

Important, this lens does come with a good solid metal mount to attach it to the camera body.

This lens is great, it's worth much more than $200. Sony isn't selling the new Zeiss 70-300mm lens yet and the current lens is just a repackaged Minolta Maxim lens which is still a great lens, but I don't like it as well as this one.

Awesome lens at a bargain price
When my old Sigma 70-300mm lens died this summer, I wondered if I'd be able to replace it with anything I liked as well. I'd used it with my Minolta SLR camera for years, and then for a couple of months with my new Sony DSLR, and it had performed beautifully. But this Tamron lens far exceeded my expectations. It is relatively lightweight, yet feels sturdy enough to stand up to hard use. The focus is sharp and quick, and it works very well with Sony's Super Steady Shot feature (essential for me since I don't use a tripod). Pictures shot in macro mode are gorgeous, once I got used to the minimum focal distance. And the price of the Tamron lens is a real bargain when compared to other lenses that work with Sony DSLRs. I'm a pretty good amateur photographer, and I'm picky about the quality of my equipment, but I don't want to spend more than I need to. This lens is just what I needed.