Tamron 150-5500mm F5-6/7 Di III VC XD (1,399) is one the most cost-effective super-telephoto zooms available for Sony. It zooms in to a more precise view than the premium FE 100-405mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS and takes up less space in your bag. It is comparable in quality and focus speed, as well as being made to very high standards. The Sigma 150-600mmF5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports is our Editors' Choice winner in a practical finish. Sigma lenses offer a little more reach and performance for $100 less.
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High Standards
Telephoto lenses tend to be quite large. Although the 150-500mm is not a break from the norm, it is one of the few squatter zooms that can reach a focal length of 500mm. At its shortest, it measures 8.3x3.7 (HW), inches. It is about the same size as the Sony FE100-400mm (8.3x3.7 inches, 3.1 lbs), but weighs in at 4.1 pound. The Tamron 150-500mm is made exclusively for the Sony mirrorless camera system.
The Tamron 150-500mm, Sony 100-400mm, and Sigma 150-600mm are all extending zooms—the inner barrel telescopes out to get closer to subjects. At 500mm, the 150-500mm is about 11.5 inches long. Sony also sells the FE 200-600mm, a big lens at 12.5 by 4.1 inches, but one of the few telezooms with a fixed-length barrel, a feature I found invaluable when using it to shoot pro soccer a few years back.
The construction quality is excellent. It is made of a strong composite and has seals that prevent moisture and dust from entering. For extra protection, the front element has anti-smudge fluorine. This repels grease, beads away water droplets and is reversible. It supports large filters up to 82mm in size, which is still affordable.
The lens ships with a tripod collar, a must-have for keeping a decent center of balance on a tripod or monopod. The collar and foot are aluminum, and the foot has a dovetail cut to mount directly into Arca-Swiss plates, in addition to a standard thread. The only things missing are 90-degree click stops—the collar is adjustable (a thumbscrew sets tension), but you'll need to take care to set it at square angles.
You can remove the collar and leave it at home for handheld work. The lens was used for some basic tripod work but I prefer to work handheld. I like leaving the collar on all the time, though—it works really well as a handle to carry the camera.
Tamron includes a zoom lock switch, an expected feature on a big, extending zoom. It keeps the barrel set at its shortest length for storage and transport. Less common, but included here, is a locking zoom clutch. The zoom is lockable at any focal length—just push the zoom ring forward to set the lock, and pull it back to release and regain zoom control. It's especially useful for scenarios where you want to keep the zoom set consistently from shot to shot.
The Sony a7R IV is our current E-mount lens test body. It has fast autofocus. As with large telezoom lenses, the pair can lock focus and track action quickly. Sony a1 owners should be aware that the a1 can only support 30fps continuous drives with most Sony FE lenses. However, the 150-500mm and other third-party options such as the Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens will work at 15fps.
Manual focus is a letdown in comparison. The focus ring is pretty narrow, and abuts right against the tripod collar—the foot can get in the way of setting it. It requires several full turns to move from close focus to infinity, so it's really something to use to fine-tune after you've started off with autofocus. It's quick to switch between focus modes; an AF/MF toggle is among the bank of controls on the left side.
The lens also comes with a focus limiter, which prevents the lens from hunting in its macro range while photographing distant scenes. The full range is available, from 3 meters to infinity and up to 15 metres to infinity. Only the maximum limit is allowed to access macro focus. Magnification of a zoom is 1:3.1 when it's focused at minimum distance 23.6 inches.
Tamron puts optical stabilization in the lens. It's very good, so you can get away with longer shutter speeds when working handheld. At 500mm, I enjoyed consistently blur-free results at speeds as long as 1/15-second, but found 1/8-second to show the blurred effects of handshake.
For most photos, Mode 1 is best. Mode 2 will be used for images where your camera pans during exposure. Mode 3 is also an option—it's a bit more effective than Mode 1, but only engages during exposure, so you'll see the effects of handshake in your viewfinder. This mode is useful when the stabilization system needs to be pushed to its limits. However, shaky images in your viewfinder are too distracting to use it as an everyday setting.
The 150-500mm's narrow angle of view is matched with a relatively dim f-stop. It's not anything to worry about for outdoor sports and many types of nature photography, but you'll end up pushing the camera ISO higher when working night games under lights, or photographing crepuscular critters under twilight.
Tamron doesn't offer teleconverters for the lens, and it's not compatible with Sony's 1.4x and 2.0x extenders—you'll need to buy the Sony FE 100-400mm (or 200-600mm) if they make sense for your work (keep in mind adding a teleconverter cuts incoming light, too). The Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens is a good alternative to the expensive Sony G lenses and GM lenses. It costs $100 less.
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The Lab
Although the 150-500mm lens is affordable, its optics can handle high-end cameras. It was tested with the Imatest 60MP a7R III and Imatest software in the laboratory and produced strong results.
At 150mm f/5, the lens nets excellent center resolution (4,400 lines), and approaches outstanding levels when stopped down. It's a little better at f/8, both in the center and toward the edges. If you're using the lens for landscape work, working at f/8 and f/11 will net the clearest results from edge to edge.
How we Test Cameras and Lenses
We see a little loss in clarity when zoomed in, but it's nominal, even for high-resolution cameras. At 320mm f/5.6, the lens nets very good center resolution (4,000 lines) and holds up at 500mm f/6.7 (3,500 lines).
It is a great choice for APS-C cameras, as they only make use of the central area of the full frame image circle. You can also crop with the a7R and a1 series cameras.
Sony cameras apply some optical corrections for JPG photographers. If you use Raw format, you'll note some pincushion distortion. Adobe Lightroom supports one-click distortion and vignette correction for this one, and applies Tamron's in-lens chromatic aberration corrections automatically.
Big Zoom For Small Cameras
Tamron's 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD zooms in big enough to satisfy wildlife and sports enthusiasts at a fraction of the cost of Sony's comparable FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS. The Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is made well and fully protected against splashes and dust. We also love the clutch-lock zoom ring.
It drops some features offered by the FE 100-400mm, though. Sony's lens supports the fastest frame rates on its stacked-sensor a1 and a9 models, and works with teleconverters. The pros using high-end equipment are likely to give it preference, but its $2,500 price is a harder sell when comparing it with the Tamron. Photographers using smaller Sony cameras may find it a little easier to manage the Tamron versus the larger Sigma 150-600mm Sports—it's a better match for the a7C, and a lens for a6000 series owners who want more reach than you get with the sized-down E 70-350mm zoom.
Sony system owners searching for a zoom with big power, without a heavyweight design, have an excellent option in the Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD. It falls just shy of being our Editors' Choice, a nod that goes to the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, a longer zoom that's just as good, but a half-pound heavier to carry and $100 more to buy.
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