Tamron 150-600 G2 Second Look | APS-C, TCs, and More

[@hugodapalma]

Mr Abbott, I'm a huge fan of your reviews and today I'm here not to congratulate you about that but to congratulate you about your availability always to answer all questions that your viewers do to you. Unfortunately most of the channels when they start to get famous are one was only. A big Thank You!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'll do my best moving ahead.

[@dmlchannel3262]

While mine is a dated response, I agree Hugo. Dustin is simply outstanding. While I enjoy Tony and Chelsea regarding the "art" of photography, I prefer Dustin for the "nuts and bolts" (the down deep facts) of the camera lenses and his explanations. I'm going to try to direct my Twitter followers to his channel.

[@mereteinaki7798]

I think i'm going to go for it. I've been toying up the G2 or the original. There's quite a bit price jump between the two, but i think the improvements in weather sealing are swinging me towards the G2. I'm looking to shot birds, so if i'm on the coast i think i'll need the extra protection

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There's definitely a lot of solid upgrades for the money. I'd do it if I were you.

[@IgorIppolitov]

Thank you very much for this review. It really difficult to find even a decent review with aps-c camera. But yours is excellent.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

For those of us that shoot primarily full frame, APS-C is sometimes an afterthought. But more photographers shoot APS-C, so it is important to cover it.

[@yosefco]

dustin, i like your deep, clean, serious high quality reviews. while others are making so much noise to draw attention - you keep it cool and elegant. keep ut up!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You've definitely picked up on what is a priority to me

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

Been using the 150-600mm G2 with a new-old-stock Canon 80D for about 18 months, and hopefully soon with another new-old-stock 6D Mk2. Great photos of birds from about 3 metres, great bokeh.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Enjoy!

[@DonEvans1]

Using the Tamron G2 on a full-frame for about the past 2 months, and I have to say I'm continually wowed by the images that I'm getting. It is much sharper than I had expected. I take a lot of early morning (read this as low-light) animal pictures such as turkey, deer, birds, etc. so I've stayed away from attaching my 1.4x extender, however, I do plan on trying it out in a mid-morning shoot to see how it works. I will say that, after having captured a series of a perching hawk with my 5D MIII, I switched over to an old T3I that I had handy just to see what the crop factor would look like. While I can confirm Dustin's findings regarding softness, the 1.6x extra reach still provided some nice shots all the way out to 600mm. About the only "issue" that I have with this lens is that it seems to have a slower focus. When taking action shots of animals, I definitely have less keepers than my Canon 70-200mm, but I feel the trade-off in extra reach is worth it.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Your observations definitely support my own.

[@HR-wd6cw]

I guess my one question (yes I know this is old) but would resolution of the sensor (and possibly age of the camera) play a role in the results comparing FF performance to APS-C? Also I'm a bit surprised that on APSC vs FF (not using any TCs) that at the longer end, the FF version would look sharper than the APS-C. Again I don't know if this has to do with resolution/sensor differences but I still find that a little odd especially since an APS-C camera will tend to use more of the center and mid-frame (which on many lenses, tends to be sharper than the edges) but since the edges (which typically are the worst on most telephoto zooms) are cut off since the sensor doesn't record them due to the sensor size/format.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The reason full frame looks sharper is that APS-C packs more pixels into a smaller area and is actually more demanding on the lenses even though weak areas in the outer frame are clipped off.

[@johnvandenbroek9753]

A great review Dustin ..... I sent the Tamron 150-600 G2 back and purchased the Canon 100-400L ll lens. The Tamron is a decent enough lens but overall I have to say the Canon handles and performs so much better. On both APS-C and full frame camera bodies. But what works for me may not work for someone else.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I own the Canon too, but I also rarely shoot really long focal lengths. If someone continually needed 400+mm, I would recommend going with a lens that covers that focal length natively.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

John van den Broek I have the canon 100-400 II too and I use it on full frame and crop bodies. It’s ok (not that impressive sharpness but overall ok) however I need more than 400mm. And with the 1.4x the results are not that good (single focus point, unacceptable to me loss of sharpness). Ideally I would love a 600mm prime but I can’t justify the expense and size. So the only alternatives are these 150-600 zooms. What I want to ask you is was the tamron particularly bad at the long end (400-600)? How does it compare to the canon in the 150-400 range? What do you mean by handles n performs better. Tnx in advance for your time cause I plan the opposite journey to yours.

[@andymok7945]

I have owned the 7D Mk II, 100-400mm L V2 lens, Sigma 150-600mm C lens and the Kenko 1.4 extender. The Canon 100-400mm L V2 on the 7D Mk II is crazy sharp and holds true with the Kenko 1.4 extender. Unless my focus was off just a bit, I never had to do output sharpening for screen and just a little for large prints. The Sigma 150-600mm C was also a great lens. They were used for wildlife work and was never disappointed. I would be at the longest zoom range on each lens, and great detail.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Andrew Makiejewski tnx Andrew I have the canon 1.4x iii not the Kenko and the results need sharpening in almost all shots. Also this combo with the 100-400 L II gives an f/8 which basically means only centre point focusing (which handicaps composition) and high ISO to freeze action and the 7dii doesn’t have that great dynamic range to start with and being a crop sensor you get a bit of noticeable noise. Do you have any photos from the said combos somewhere for me to see. Tnx in advance.

[@JoeJacksonJr]

Excellent comparison Dustin. This really should help answer a lot of questions many have.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's my hope. My first review covered full frame, but people still had a lot of questions.

[@m4nc1n1]

Thank you for the info on the TC! As you might remember i have the 80D and I have been wondering about them, but have not researched it yet. This is why i love your reviews...i get a lot out of them!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad they helped out.

[@TheMrBennito]

all those reviews... what an effort, amazing!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

+TheMrBennito Thanks!

[@saabvanderlinden9214]

@@DustinAbbottTWI would u recommend the tamron 24 - 70 f2. 8.G2 mm tamron ...or are there better options?

[@rafograph]

The best Photography gear reviewer. Period.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Wow, thanks!

[@dashriprock911]

My favourite go to lens for sports and wildlife was my Tamron Di VC ii 70 - 300 so I was expecting twice the focal length and, given generational improvements, even more benefits when I purchased this G2 for my D80. Very soft indeed north of 500mm and forget about composing towards the edges.. Full frame is in the plans any ways. I would most certainly not recommend this lens for APS-C. Thanks for setting me straight ( I can take suicide hotline off my speed dial now) and congratulations on being the only reviewer I know to directly address the issue!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Not every lens translates well to APS-C, unfortunately.

[@thomasknockout]

Excellent review Dustin, thank you for your hard work.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You’re welcome

Excellent as always. However. there is a scenario where I personally find using these kinds of lenses, possibly even with teleconverters, on APS-C may be a reasonable choice. I don't do much birding these days, but sometimes you are so far away that you have to crop so much that you almost reach pixel level, and then having those extra pixels is worth the optical degradation.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

+Richard Rönnbäck I'm sure there are extreme applications for that combination; I'm more trying to state what I think will work best for the largest group of people

[@wilkfenris]

Hello. I had the opportunity to compare the Sigma S 150-600 to my old Canon 400mm f/5.6 L. The picture taken with Canon and then cropped to 600mm was still sharper than what Sigma showed at 600mm. I did the tests with my Canon 70D. It is obvious that Canon (due to lack of stabilization and long focal length) is a demanding lens. But when I compared the results... I preferred to stay with Canon. It is much cheaper (easy to buy used)... much lighter and better balanced... AF works faster... for me it's definitely better choice, although it requires more skill from the user and is difficult (sometimes even impossible) to use in bad lighting conditions. I think that with Tamron the results would be similar.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There's trade offs. The 400 f/5.6L is a very underrated lens that optically is still excellent. I almost wonder if Canon is reluctant to bring out an IS version because of how it might cannibalize sales of more expensive lenses.

[@MaherIbrahim]

That’s very true! I purchased the G2 and I was not happy at how soft it is at 600, meanwhile the Canon 400 was amazing like super super awesome, but I’m leaning now to upgrade to the Canon 500mm f4 and is not cheap.

[@neilroux1793]

Been using a G2 for about 3weeks.2weeks in the field in the Kruger National Park.It front focused on a Canon T6S.But I luckily had a old Canon 50D as backup.It focuses perfect on that body.Do u think it's a firmware issue Dustin?I'm abit between a rock and a hard place.I can focus adjust it but then I'll be able to use only that body.Or can one calibrate the G2 on multiple bodies via the Tap in Console? My observations are also that it's the sharpest at F6.3 to F7.1.At 600mm F8 is best.But u have such a narrow depth of field at 600mm that u might as well shoot at F8.I have also seen that if u keep it at max 550mm u get alot more sharpness than at 600mm.Zoom lenses are never sharpest at either end of the range.Just by backing off slightly u get an improvement of sharpness.Not alot but it's definitely there.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Using the Tap In is the best bet. Calibrate it to your most-used body, and then you can do a standard AFMA adjustment to deal with the minor variance on your second (or third) body.

[@FrankyboyLegend]

I had similar issues with the T6s and the Tap-in still wasn't very consistent although it improved the focusing considerably. Unfortunately there has been no firmware update for T6s or the lens (if you got it within the past year). When I upgraded to the 80D I just re-zeroed it and then did AFMA in-body, and it's now more consistent. I thought the lens was too soft at f6.3 600mm but now I seem to get more consistent results, though if I can I'd stop it down to f8. I still find the VC to be somewhat hit-or-miss below 1/320. I also changed it to "viewfinder priority" which gives a more stable image but there is a bit more viewfinder lag (and the VC is considerably louder sometimes vibrating after a few shots - I also believe it uses more battery). I'm wondering if you know whether the lens still has panning detection in mode 1. Sometimes I can't be bothered to change to mode 2 if I suddenly see a flying bird and other manufacturers sometimes allow for panning detection in the default mode. However, with the G2 I find it does have some occasion side-blur which could be due to lack of panning detection.

[@videoking8491]

how to sharp are the images at 600mm, is it possible to send me some photos to look at thanks.

[@mungka9038]

Do compare to the Sigma 150-600mm Sports.I want to know how different image quality and etc between sigma s and tamron g2

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid I no longer have either lens in hand.

[@rvb_fotografie6880]

which lens should I buy according to you .. the tamron 150-600 g2 or the sigma 150-600 Com? the tamron looks good. but I think the sigma photos look a bit better?

[@videoking8491]

so I was watching the sharpness on the 600mm on apsc and on the object in the center, it seemed to focus on the canon cap logo rather than focusing on the numbers in the front, That may have happened on accident.

[@fotografstenberg]

Video King I agree. Saw this too. Interesting.

[@EGlideKid]

Dustin, Great dissection, as always. I couldn't help but notice that you were shooting your sample images at 1600 ISO, and was wondering how the results might have fared at 200 ISO instead? I am not as familiar with your Canon bodies as I am with my Nikon. My D500 is still more than adequate at 1600 ISO, but my older D610 isn't nearly as clean. Am assuming your sample images were all un-retouched. If I bought this lens, I would predominantly use it on the D500 and without a teleconverter/extender. As you know, on the D500 this lens would yield 900mm effective focal length max, a great boon for birding or wildlife. Your comments? Thanks!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The nature of a maximum aperture of f/9 (with a TC), means that shooting at very low ISOs are almost out of the questions. I shot at ISO 1600 to get a reasonable shutter speed.

[@hanslarsson6496]

Thanks for a great video! I'm using a Tamron 150-600mm G2 for bird photography together with an old 18 MP Canon APS-C camera today but planning to buy the new Canon R6 to get better autofocus system and higher FPS. The downside is of course that I will loose the crop-factor 1,6 and the R6 only got 20 MP so it will maybe be hard to do some major cropping. Therefore I'm thinking about buying the Tamron 1,4x extender. I fell quite confident that the image quality itself will be good enough for me, but do you think the great autofocus of the R6 will suffer much when using the G2 with the extender? I want to be able to focus on birds and use the eye-tracking.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I think you should be able to AF fine. The new R5/R6 AF system is amazingly competent.

[@hanslarsson6496]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for your answer! I have decided to buy the R6 and the Tamron x1,4 converter. Do you think The G2 will need a firmware update to work with the new Canon RF-cameras? In that case i also need to buy the Tamron tap-in console

[@actie-reactie]

Hallo Dustin. Correct me if I am wrong...but... whats the point of cornersharpness with these kind of lenses...I mean for the most part you have this kind of zoomlenses to focus out a single object like a bird animal or a surfer or whatever.....sure the surroundings count....but are they that important? And thats where my question is.....are the majority of your pictures taken with the g2 Sharp in the centre? Your focussing object.... Best regards Richard Netherlands

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Corner sharpness important depends a lot on the way you compose. The G2 hasn't lost any center sharpness vs the older version, but does deliver a more even sharpness profile.

[@Technologyadvisor1]

nice video dustin I would say based on your review the g2 is very similar to the original. The tamron lens is soft at 600mm. As for the canon lens it focus very slowly on a 7d when I tested it. I found the 70-200 with 2x just as good as the bare 100-400 lens. I can not comment on the g2 but when i tested the original I found both the sigma C/S to be sharper. Always a pleasure.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Compared head to the head the G2 is slightly sharper at 600mm, but still a hair behind the Sigma variants. I like the whole package of the Tamron better than either, though.

[@Technologyadvisor1]

I did think The tamrons tripod mount was better than the sigma c I also liked the focus ring better. But where it counts the sigma lenses was my preferred lenses. I recently bought a sigma 500mm dg F4.5 from adarama for $1000 I made a punt offer on their list price of $2200 on ebay may be I got a bargain on ebay. The lens turned out to be faulty but sigma repaired it and adarama paid for the repair ouch £229. So know I have a prime 500mm lens wish I could afford the canon but dont have that sort of cash. I guess you must be rich with all the stuff camera companies send you all that gear. ie canon 5d mk4

[@souravpramanick2116]

Sir i need a full comparison and a suggestion between canon 100 400 is ii and tamron 150 600 g2 the new version

[@soumitraghosh29]

How will the G2 lens will perform on 7D MKII without the extenders?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It should work well. Good AF system, and the lower MP count makes it easier on the resolution.

[@wahabdilawar]

Brilliant review. Very thorough. Can you please explain what causes the degradation in image quality on the crop sensor?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There are a number of factors. Size and number of the pixels (pixel density) for one. Many lenses designed for full frame don't look as good on APS-C.

[@whatmattersmost6725]

Hi Dustin, what I would have liked to see an FF shot zoomed into a APS shot, showing if FF could be zoomed in on software, so to see if they give the same image sharpness.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I suspect that would be the case, but that only works if you don't really need larger file sizes (or shoot with a 5Ds/R)

[@elitemammothcondos]

I shoot with a Canon 5D4 and am wanting to upgrade from my Canon 100-400L f4-5-5.6 V1. My main concerns of course are reach, clarity and fast auto focus at farther distances 500mm-600mm - shooting mostly wildlife with this lens (dolphins, whales, bear, birds - both beach and mountains) - I am looking at either the Tamron G2 'or' the Canon 100-400L V2 w/ 1.4 III extender. What would you recommend my best option be here? The fact I can add a 1.4 extender to the Tamron and get even more reach appeals to me. Once you add the 1.4 to the Canon 580mm is max reach. The price is quite different as well comparing the two. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I personally use the 100-400L2 + 1.4x combo and am happy with it. The G2 is also a good choice. Using it with a 1.4x is a bit frustrating (if you want AF)

[@johnrussell593]

As always Dustin, a good video and information. Question...With DSLRs and DSLMs getting into the 6K+ at 30fps and 60fps are we going to see action stills photography going bye bye? With 6K you can frame grab an18Mb still. Meaning you have the better chance at getting the right shot!!!! (it wouldn't matter if the shutter is 1000+ because you would be shooting for the still and not the smoothness of the movie) I have the Canon 400mm 5.6L and it is lighter and easy to hike with. But I always would like more reach and these super zooms seem to look good but just don't seem to match the 400mm when you hike 10-20 km (6 to 12 miles) 3 times a week. Plus they are F6.3 and on the foggy west coast here 300mm f4 is best (unless you can afford a 400mm DO, 500mm f4 or 600 f4 and deal with the extra weight).

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

+john Russell It's hard to predict the future. But yes, the 400mm f/5.6L is very well regarded for that reason. I wish they would release a version with IS.

[@Traumglanz]

I wish they would release a body with IBIS. Well there are Sony Bodies with great IBIS and good adapters to get Canon glas on them. ;-)

[@LemarGriffinfilms]

Thanks for making this! Great Video

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome!

[@dunnymonster]

Trying to add teleconverters to superzooms on APSC is never recommended ( or full frame for that matter ) but your tests show you can get away with their use on Full frame without too much image degradation. Long fast primes are another matter of course. I'll likely be adding Nikons 200 - 500 in the near future which I'll be using on an APSC body. I think pushing a zoom to 4 X and expecting it to produce clean results across the focal range is a bit much to ask. Canon were right to limit their range to 3 X zoom 😃

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I do think that adding TCs is just too much to ask of these type lenses.

[@nature_meets_camera]

It looks like the G2 has some backfocus at 600 mm. Have a look at the photo you show at 3:16, the silver ring below the lens in the middle seems to be quite sharp - out of the center.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

+Adrian Ranfft All of these tests were shot with 10x Live View Contrast AF; backfocus should not be an issue under those conditions.

[@nature_meets_camera]

Sorry, the focus is wrong! It does not matter how this happend, the photo is definitely sharp, but in the wrong place... Have a look at img1.picload.org/image/rcllcdci/tamron150600g2.jpg

[@FreakyAndrew428]

Adrian Ranfft is right. And if you'd check your results with manual focus instead of relying on live view AF you'd have seen that. The focus at 600mm on aps-c was clearly on the cap behind the subject. I really apreciate the effort you put in, but your "results" are so often heavily flawed that I ask you to better check them. such a result @600m 6.3 even on aps-c would be unusable and if we can tell that from a video, you'd have to see it after a second on thd screen, that something is not right. thanks for the review anyway ;-)

[@FrankyboyLegend]

Can't really say for sure what's going on here, but at certain distances I find the lens isn't as uniformly sharp even if I use manual focus. That is, some area off-center looks more in focus.

[@joeroll8214]

Good information. Additionally what I would like to see and probably many others would, is how an APS-C camera such as the Nikon D500 compares to the D850 in the crop mode since the pixel count is similar.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid you'll have to reserve that for a Nikon reviewer.

[@aGabay]

Hi, I'm shooting with a Canon 7D Mark II, mostly aviation. What lens would you recommend to me? The Canon or the Tamron G2? I'm mainly worried about the reach, 400mm is nice on crop (effective 640mm) but maybe not enough. I must say that I've tried the Canon and it was great and sharp, but haven't tried the Tamron. I tried the Sigma 150-600 Sport and was terribly dissapointed with the results, mainly the IS performance.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would recommend renting or borrowing the G2, if possible, and seeing if it meets your standards. If not, go for the Canon and just crop or use a 1.4x extender, though you'll get diminishing returns on focus (less points available on your 7DII, I believe).

[@aGabay]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks! It's a bit of a problem now with Corona days, there are no lens rentals in my area. I've watched some videos (yours too) and read some discussions, seems like the Canon's IS performance and image quality is a real winner.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It is a very good lens, for sure.

[@johannestan6878]

Very much impressed by your hard work and dedication Dustin! Thanks a lot! So for an APS-C shooter, do you think the Sigma 150-600 mm Sport (or Contemporary) lens will fit the bill? Thanks again!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They are both fine, though I think the G2 is potentially the best balance of the three.

[@Mploscar]

Very nice as always! I shot with the G2 on 1.6x crop factor and I noticed soft images as well...almost to the point where the image quality is not desirable at 600mm (960mm). However, I truly love the G2 on a full frame Mark III.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It really does shine most on a full frame body.

[@frankkorver2372]

Thanks Dustin for this great review, doing a lot of nature photography I'm looking for a lot mm but still I can't decide what I would like to buy. I have APS-C and FF Sony camera's but I still can't choose between Sony 100-400 V2 or the new Tamron 150-600 G2. I like what I see in your Tamron reviews so this could be the last push to the tamron lens Frank ( from the netherlands )

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

+Frank Korver I'm glad to hear that it is helping your decision.

[@garymeredith2441]

On this comparison that you did 6 years ago have you tried doing it recently with any of the new mirrorless bodies like the R5 the R7 and also the R3 because those bodies have a lot more capability of autofocusing if you can put out a video on this Dustin we would all love to see this .

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm afraid not - I don't have these lenses on hand and do less "adapted" video reviews these days.

[@garymeredith2441]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you for the reply Dustin I've been looking at that G2 lens I think I'll give it a try .

[@houcinesinaceur5170]

Hi tkx and keep up the great , simple and professional reviews very helpful

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's the plan

[@stoffa2543]

Im also considering this lens to my Nikon D300s. Would you say dont go for it? Would you say its waste of money?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's really your call to make. It's only a waste of money if you don't need it or don't use it. It's a good value as a lens.

[@richarddutchholland4780]

Christopher Martinsen go for the Nikon 200-500 f 5.6

[@brotherdom1]

Great review as always .Off topic and off the rails ,What color would you describe your eyes They match skin tones very well.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Mostly green...a little hazel.

[@billloveless6869]

How do you calibrate a lens? I'm using a Canon 7d mark II. Do I need extra equipment? Thanks.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Look on my channel for a playlist on how to do lens calibration.

[@billloveless6869]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Ok.

[@jacobl6572]

Not working as well with cropped sensors or dense full frame is why I am not big fan of super high MP sensors that compromise on ISO performance. Few lenses and or shooting conditions can actual resolve all the pixels.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That is certainly a challenge with pixel dense sensors.

[@kalikinkarbiswas4975]

Hi sir, I'm Nikon D750 user, I have nikon Af 80-200 D ED lens. Now I want to buy a long telephoto zoom lens. I suggest nikon 200-500mm f5.6 & tamron 150-600 g2 lens. Please suggest me which lens is best & sharp for my Nikon D750.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't shoot Nikon and haven't tested the 200-500. It seems like it might be the best match if you've already got an 80-200 lens.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Tnx for the great review, can you use the Canon 1.4x with the Tamron 150-600 (instead of the Tamron 1.4x)? Is it possible to mount the Tamron 150-600 to a SONY (e.g. a7RII, a9) with good results?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The Canon extender doesn't work well with the Tamron lenses. They don't communicate properly.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Dustin Abbott : tnx Justin does the Sigma 150-600 play nicer / communicate well with the canon 1.4 extender?

[@stephenlikestools6846]

We are all looking at our particular needs. It seems to me to use the lens toward its strengths, and not pushing its weaknesses is key. What I will memorize from my APS-C shooter impressions of your review is: Tamron $1300 to 600mm with fast flexibility back to 100mm. Canon $2600 ($2000 + $429 1.4x + At least $200 extended warranty that still doesn't match the Tamron. Tamron is half the cost and less fiddling with TC and nearly the same image quality. As always, good Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Different strokes for different folks. I own the Canon 100-400L II and a 1.4x because I rarely need that kind of reach and like the form factor of the Canon, but if I regularly shot long focal lengths I would probably go for the Tamron 150-600 G2

[@stephenlikestools6846]

I am glad you enjoy these analytical exercises. You do them well and of course it does take a good bit of time. Obviously you are very good at time management, being a pastor, photographer and family man and all. I am an atheist but always like seeing the other side of the fence representing themselves so well. It gives me hope. I threw a few bucks in the tip jar. Next year I will review this and your other Tamron review images and written reviews when I decide what to invest in for 2018. Today I am of the mind next year I will likely just add a used Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS to a used 80D second body to go with my 300 f/4L IS and recently bought 80D. (Your review among other KZbinrs was quite helpful in choosing the 80D over the 7D II.) Hummingbirds are my primary subjects, so I am almost always cropping a lot and this would keep me in the 2.8 & 4.0 AF speed range. Minus a stop with a 1.4x when needed. I enjoy learning about gear I most likely will never own almost as much as the photography, more so in the winter.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks for the tip and the time you took for feedback. You're not the only atheist I'm friendly with ;) I'll always support a decision to buy the 100L Macro I use mine all the time. It is just so useful!

[@michaelbarker7078]

Hi Dustin, did you fine tune the 150 - 600mm Tamron lens with the TAP-in console before using it and doing your comparisons?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes, though most comparisons are done on a tripod and with either live view or manual focus, so it is less relevant.

[@b.lew_photography571]

Hi Dustin, between the Tamron 150-600mm G2 and the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, both without any extender and used with an APS-C sensor, which of the two would you be more inclined to recommend even if both are within the budget?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would personally go with the G2. It's much more nicely made, has better AF and VC, and while there is give and take from both in the IQ department, it is just as good optically.

[@b.lew_photography571]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Excellent! thanks for the recommendation, I really appreciate it! Black Friday and other holiday sales are coming up so I'll definitely be on the lookout to see if the Tamron goes on sale, but either way I look forward to picking one up!

[@DennisMoncla]

I've been looking forward to this so much but I think I'm more conflicted than before lol. I shoot APS-C 7Dmkii and I'm looking for more reach than 300mm for birds and other wildlife. I'm currently borrowing a 70-300L and I'm getting fantastic results but obviously just too far away. I have a rental of the 100-400 II being delivered today to try this weekend. I don't like the size of the Tamron but I love the money savings. What to do???? If I like my results this weekend I guess it's bite the bullet time and stick with the Canon or just keep living with 300 and cropping. Also, I had heard that the Canon was sharper even cropped from 400 to 600 than the Tamron and Sigma at native 600. Have you tried that and seen the same thing? Edit: I forgot to mention how blown away I was with the Tamron on FF at 1200mm!!!! That was impressive!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I think our comparison here shows that the crop report isn't really true...at least with the G2 lens. With the extender the Canon is only a hair sharper, but that combination would only autofocus on a few focus points on your 7D II. If you really want the reach, do it with a bare lens like this one.

[@linkarp5]

Great your videos, I would like to ask you if for my nikon d7200 + tamron 150 600 g2 it is useful to buy the 1.4x tamron to gain a greater distance or it would lose a lot of image quality or it would be unnecessary. Greetings from Spain

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't think you would love the performance of the autofocus. I would recommend that you just crop in where necessary.

[@linkarp5]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Okey thanks!! regards

[@lsaideOK]

Another excellent review. I am surprised the Tamron held up so well in comparison to the Canon especially in the middle of the range and in terms of the bare glass advantage at the longer focal lengths. One nit: from the exif, it seemed your Canadian goose images were shot at 1/250 and 1/200 so I would not expect this to be a true estimation of the lenses' potentials in terms of the resolution of the geese. The rest of the images looked a lot better although some of the rocks in the Tamron pic did look quite soft. Of course, dof can be pretty tight. I am still not completely sold on the G2 v. G1. I had a very quick chance to compare both at a shop. While the G2 holds the image dramatically better in the viewfinder at 600mm, I was still able to get good detail (stitching in a shirt on the far side of the shop) from the G1 at a slow shutter speed. Probably good enough for me. I expect the price to drop even further as I have already seen it at $799 on occasion. The extra light transmission is nice and it seems to have a slightly less nervous bokeh (maybe a result of the stronger vc on the G2). So, different strokes for different folks. The fact that the sharpness drops off at 600mm with the G2 seems to put it in a similar ballpark with the G1. Just my latest thoughts. Great update!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

As far as the shutter speed - it was on a tripod for that shot and the geese were standing still, so that shutter speed should not have been a real factor. While there are some small gains in image sharpness, I perceive that the build and features are a more compelling reason to spend the extra money. All of the 150-600 lenses are pretty much in the same ballpark optically with some small give and take. The Sigma 150-600 Sport may have the best image quality overall, but it also needs the most light (it VERY quickly racks through the maximum aperture to f/6.3) and is a beast to handhold. I think the G2 is the more well rounded of the bunch, but if you are just prioritizing image quality, it probably isn't enough to justify the price premium.

[@mlevesque33]

I currently own a Canon 80D (I got it a few weeks ago) and I'm looking for a telephoto zoom lens. The more I watch videos on Canon, Sigma and Tamron lens, the more confused I get. I was thinking of getting a Tamron because of the price but I'm not sure anymore. What do you recommend? I want a telephoto zoom lens for wildlife/landscape photography.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

There really isn't a wrong answer here - the performance across the 150-600 options is fairly consistent, with some give and take for each lens.

[@MaherIbrahim]

Martin Lévesque the Canon 400mm f5.6

[@joachimbulte3152]

Hi Dustin, in terms of image quality, would the 1,4x extender be usable with the 150-600 G2 on a Canon EOS R in crop-mode? Thanks in advance

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Usable, yes. Exceptional? Almost certainly not.

[@kferoze]

Hi Dustin...me still using canon 70D with tamron G2 but not getting good results....specially bird in flight are not sharp....can u plz suggest me some perfect technique with me G2

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Have you calibrated focus? I've got a review series on how to do that if you haven't.

[@FrankyboyLegend]

Make sure you turned off stabilizer or are using mode 2 if your birds are flying horizontally. Really wish there was panning detection (they added it to the G1 via firmware) I hate having to constantly flick switch between different modes. Mode 3 kinda works for 1-2 flight shots but after that it starts to add blur/viewfinder lag.

[@ZaberAnsaryOfficial]

Just makes me sad that I will not get the best results with these long telephotos on Crop Bodies. My 70D is pretty Fast, but a Full Frame Camera with as Fast Shooting and Focusing capabilities is Far out of my Reach.

[@ramsankarchandrasekar8959]

same here

[@omegavladosovich6757]

In terms of IQ the lens definitely performs better on a full frame body like the R6 than on my 80D. Due to the wider view the image is sharper wide open with better boke. However, AF performance has been unreliable for closer subjects where the servo AF constantly twitches instead of locking on (filming video seeks to stop this behaviour) . It works well with flying birds and more distant subjects though.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Unfortunately the autofocus of third party lenses adapted to mirrorless isn't always a perfect transition...particularly in more demanding situations like your describe.

[@omegavladosovich6757]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I'm also wondering if the teleconverter itself is limiting the AF speed or if it's the camera, and whether adapting it to mirrorless will have any improvements. The teleconnverter is 749$ CAD but it seems Amplis (Tamron's official distributor in Canada) is recommending the cheaper Kenko HD DGX teleconverter and I'm wondering what the performance would be like.

[@cryvee]

I want to buy the canon eos 80d and so far only the 55-250 stm gets recomended. Do you think it would make sense to buy the 150-600 for the canon eos 80d? i just want a tele lense for aps-c that gives good results but reaches farther than the 55-250

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Either this or another great choice on APS-C is the new Sigma 100-400 Contemporary.

[@abhilawvlogs]

Dustin Abbott Hi Dustin can you please tell which would be better Tamron G2 150-600 or sigma 100-400. I am presently using Canon 80d.

[@cryvee]

I recently saw the sigma 100-400 video. its as sharp as the canon 100-400 and the canon 100-400 (especialy with a tele converter) is sharper than the tamron 150-600g2. Downside to the sigma is that you cant put it on a tripod and that the autofocus isnt consitent enough for fast moving subjects. So if you dont care about using servo autofocus in burst mode i would get the sigma. its exceptionaly sharp Tamron annouced its developing a 100-400 and it will release at the end of 2017. You will be able to put it on a tripod. And you will be able to use a teleconverter with it. I guess we have to wait too see if its auto focus and image quality are good enough.

[@KuntalGuharaja]

Do you recommend Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC USD G2 + Tamron 2x over Canon 100-400 IS II for wildlife?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Definitely not. I always recommend using a bare lens to cover a focal length you want to regularly shoot.

[@ryangallagher3235]

Hi Dustin, I've been asking this all over the internet and either no one knows or they're not responding. I have a 7D Mark II, and the documentation for the camera says that the smallest maximum aperture for a lens in order to maintain all AF points is f5.6. With a max aperture of f8 (which I've experienced with the 100-400L + 1.4x teleconverter) you only get the center AF point. Since this lens is f5-6.3 It falls in a strange middle ground and I'm curious if you know what that means as far as the 7D Mark II AF capabilities. Considering the long end is f6.3 max aperture I'm wondering how much of the camera's AF capabilities remain available.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

100% of the focus points. It will autofocus fine on all focus points on all Canon/Nikon cameras. The camera recognizes f/6.3 actually as f/5.6 and, because there is only slightly less light available than f/5.6 autofocus is roughly as good as a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6.

[@ryangallagher3235]

Excellent, thanks for the info!

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I have the 7DII+100-400 M2+1.4x M3 (all canon) and I get f/8 and I can only centre point focus. Am I doing something wrong? Should I send my gear to be tested/serviced? So I'm looking at a combo that can get me 600mm (and ideally more if possible that is faster than f/8) with the same IQ as my current kit and doesn't cost as much as a car :-). It seems that I would have to stop the tamron at 600mm to f/8 to get good results so no real benefit of switching. Any suggestions for a reasonably priced 400 or 500 prime with IS to which I could then add my 1.4 and reach/exceed the 600 mm I currently have. I've toying with the idea of the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 with a 2x extender but I'm worried about the speed of focusing. I got the 7DII because of its 10fps but with slow focusing I cannot get anywhere near the 10 fps in real world wild-life scenarios.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

@@dimitristsagdis7340 Unfortunately the more flexible focus options with extenders comes more with the most recent bodies (5DIV, for example.)

[@sathwikps6701]

Sir Which is the better lens for canon eos80d is it the tamron 160-600 or canon 100-400 with the extender 1.4x?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You will get better autofocus performance with the Tamron than the extender combo, which doesn't track as well and limits your available focus points to 27.

[@sathwikps6701]

Dustin Abbott But is the sharpness good at 600mm in the tamron?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes, particularly stopped down to f/8 (which is where you would be on the Tamron anyway.)

[@sathwikps6701]

Dustin Abbott Thank you

[@hansforsstrom5772]

Another excellent and really informative review! I had the G1 and replaced it with the G2 some six months ago. In every, but one, respect the G 2 is clearly better. I shoot Nikon and on my bodies, aps-c and FF, the autofocus has a hard time locking on and staying locked at the subject. Seen other reports of this and am wondering if it is anything you noticed on your Canon bodies. (Think you mentioned something in line with this in one of the other videos of the G2). My guess is that it's a software issue, and it would be interesting to find out if it might be only/mostly Nikon-related. Otherwise really pleased with the lens and agree totally that it is first and foremost a FF-lens, just as the G1. I get better results cropping a FF-picture than with uncropped apps-c-pictures.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I didn't notice the locking issue, myself. Overall Nikon users seem to be getting good results. Do you have the Tap In Console, and have you done a firmware update?

[@hansforsstrom5772]

Thanks for your quick reply. There have been no firmware updates available yet. I do have the console and I'm getting good results though the af-issue is a bit disturbing, specially on moving subjects. Hope Tamron fixes this, as there are quite a few reports on it.

[@devanois]

Don't own this lens but was curious about your thoughts about it. I do not plan to buy it either, I recently got my Canon EF 400mm f5.6 and I am spoiled by its sharpness, so much that I do not think of switching to a zoom with a bit of extra reach. All the best. I hope that you are well.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The biggest challenge for many users is the lack of an image stabilizer. Optically your lens is fantastic.

[@maxfactor4209]

Dustin Abbott i usually shoot with my left hand at the most front part of the lens while i push my head hardly to eyecap. i found with this technique i can shoot at very lower shutter speeds

[@phannam2406]

It seems the lens works better on FF than APS-C...

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's true.

[@phannam2406]

I was thinking about upgrading my camera from D610 to D500. Maybe I will keep using my D610 for bird-photography after watching your review... Thank you!.

[@tomlee812]

Another, good and helpful review (even though I shoot Nikon, full frame). I have the G1 and have toyed with the upgrade, but I'm not sure I'd get value as, working with reasonable light, I am really happy with the G1, having had it since new. Thanks for this one Dustin, I really enjoy your easy and informative style and the excellent quality of your visuals.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

If you are happy with what you have, there's no compelling reason to move to another lens.

[@edgaralonso232]

I need a teleconverter for my Sony A-mount camera, is there any you recommend?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm really not well-versed in A-mount, so perhaps someone else will chime in.

[@muleskinnerpro]

I use the Sony A to E mount # LA-EA3 for my A7r3 and A6300 with the G2 Tamron. I also have the awesome Sony 100-400 but wanted the extra reach and like the results.

[@AGS-8785-D1R]

Can anyone comment on the G2 vs the "G1" version of this lens' stabilization in video? Curious if the G2 version has noticeable stablization improvements over the G1 in video mode.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The big difference is that you can choose a dedicated mode (Mode 2) in the Tap In that is dedicated to video work. The G2 also has improved performance in general

[@amritkrishna970]

planning to buy 80d along with tamron g2 for wildlife photography do u think its worth it please help

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a nice combination!

[@amritkrishna970]

Dustin Abbott any other telephoto lens to go with 80d. whats ur advice. cuz iam bit confused what to do

[@amritkrishna970]

and thank u very much for the reply

[@abhilawvlogs]

80d is a good camera.

[@DalsPhotography]

Hello Dustin, how are you today? Thanks for the reviews on this lens, I wonder , is it worth to change my sigma contemporary for this one? What do you think? I shoot birds, and have both Canon 7D mark ii and Canon 5DSr. I appreciate your input here! Thanks as always, and best wishes from distan Uruguay :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The G2 is the better lens, overall, but isn't much better optically. I guess it depends on your priorities. The G2 has better weather sealing, better autofocus, and a nicer build, but optically it is about equal. If you are happy with what you have, stick with it!

[@danielaargandona6825]

Thank you for your honest comment Dustin, I'll stick then with the Contemporary for the time being, I bought protection for it, so I don't suffer too much our salty oceanic climate. Till now I am quite happy with the lens , at least much happier than with canon "noisy" cameras! A request, can you go through the foveon (Sigma) sensor some day...just a wish for you to make a review of other cameras as well... or are you in a liasson with Canon? ... Best wishes and thanks again!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Canon is just what I choose to shoot. Sigma Canada has asked me to look at one of their new camera bodies in the future, so I might do that.

[@DalsPhotography]

Great news! Thans a lot Dustin, :) I do love your videos, but lately you seem rather tired, I hope you are getting good sleep!! Blessings for you and your family!

[@browaterboy7968]

Dustin bro, i'm quite happy for choosing canon 100-400 L is usm mark2. But my field experience i felt that on apc body canon sometime stuck for focusing especially canon 80D. To be honest the image quality is outstanding on canon 100-400 L m2 compared to tamron g2 on my full frame and apc body. Appriciate your honest review, may it late by my request, but the best review from my big bro Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm not sure if you actually asked a question there.

[@browaterboy7968]

My brother, i was asked you before buying 100-400 m2 need a review between tamron g2, and sigma sport. You replay me will do after February. unfortunately you busy with 70-200 series. Anyway appriciate your final consideration.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

This is my final coverage on this lens.

[@browaterboy7968]

Dustin bro, i know you are do busy with new gears. The fact is that you reviews more deep and depth. people intrested to watch twise.

[@maximme]

is the 600mm true 600mm ?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I suspect it is probably a few mm short (they almost all are), but its close.

[@MaherIbrahim]

Thanks for the review! I decided to send it back because it's a good lens for snapshots, not for a professional looking photos. Always soft and not sharp enough for my liking, but I got some nice shots of the moon! I used it on my 5D mark II and canon 80D.

[@johnvandenbroek9753]

Actually I sent mine back as well. I found I was getting soft images past 500mm. I will wait for the new canon 200 to 600 lens to come out.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It should not always be soft. I have a lot of very, very sharp images with the lens.

[@MaherIbrahim]

Dustin Abbott it's not the best when it's at 600, and I am just spoiled by the new Tamrron 70-200 G2. I am either going for a prime telephoto or waiting for another new lens.

[@MaherIbrahim]

John van den Broek I'm about to send it back due to the softness of the pictures. I was really surprised comparing it the new 70-200 G2. I will be waiting for a new lens as well or save up for a prime lens.

[@LisaMRoberti]

I shoot wildlife. I am curious to see a review of the Canon 100-400 II on a 7d2 vs the tamron 150-600 on a Canon 5d4. I like to shoot the 7d2 because of the crop factor - getting me much closer. So far, I've had good results....but I know the 5d4 has a much better image.....but I want the distance and I want a zoom. Of course I tend to shoot early mornings and early evenings with low lights - so I'm not sure the 100-400 with a teleconverter on the 5d4 is a great option - I need fast shutter speeds and I prefer lower ISOs..... Someone recommended staying with the 100-400 on the 5d4 and cropping....Any suggestions????

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would add the 1.4x III for times when the light is good, and then crop in the other times.

[@LisaMRoberti]

thank you so much for taking the time to reply!

[@mb-moose]

Great info. Cheers

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My pleasure.

[@brotherdom1]

Dustin .Hi from Ireland .i really appreciate your reviews and consider them acurate and honest .But ya the dove has toegone:-)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'll take your word ;)

[@justinholding02]

Dustin Abbott, I'm using the 100-400 II on Both the 80D and the 6D. with the 1.4x iii mounted on the 80D I'm getting great results, it took some fine tuning but I am very happy with the results most of the time. An example here : flic.kr/p/G5kXB1

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's a beautiful lens!

[@jirisiska4340]

Does it have AF still working at f/8 while using 1.4x? Or did you focus manually?

[@howardkahn717]

THIS MUST BE A JOKE!...Here we have Tamron producing a G2 for the Sony "A" mount.......Tthe Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di USD G2 for Sony A ------BUT they do not produce the 24-70mm or the 70-200mm f2.8 in G2 for the "A mount........This is an example of Sony using their stock ownership of Tamron to influence the NON Production of icon lenses so Sony can clear the field of competition for their GM series that is totally over priced and destroy the A Mount .......

[@speecher1959]

Exactly the deliciously angst-ridden decision I'm attempting to make. Oh sweet agony!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Always tough to nail down the best choice.

[@kurtoveleland9384]

brup

[@brotherdom1]

That poor dove has no toes Claws whatever

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Really?