Tamron 70-180 for Sony Review for Travel Creators

I have been waiting for the Tamron 70-180 for my Sony A7III. The one thing I have been missing in my bag has been a telephoto zoom lens to be able to film and photography wildlife and have the zoom capability to film things I just cannot get close to. Tamron sent me this lens on loan to review and test in Alaska and I am bringing you along on the journey into the mountains to review this lens. As with the other Tamron lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras this one is light weight, compact, has extremely good image rendering and fast accurate auto focus. The downside it there is no stabilization and you loose a few mm of zoom on the telephoto end. However the Tamron 70-180 is probably the best telephoto zoom lens for creators who travel, explore, are on the go and need a high quality great performing lens at an affordable price.
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Jake Sloan
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[@MarkH163]

Very cool showing the 180 focusing on the glacier! Also really like how when you step in front of the camera, it pops the foreground into focus! Good review Jake, and it looked like a lot of fun...just around the next corner..

[@JakeSloan]

Lol and over the next hill 😜. Thanks Mark! Cheers.

[@dondibanmagnetYT]

This was the first tamron review for 70 180 but 12k views only? Underrated.

[@JakeSloan]

Not the first but a pretty early one. Thanks for the kind words! Cheers

[@BagsPackedFamily]

Thanks for the review of the Tamron 70-180. We’re planning an extended summer in Alaska this year, so it’s great to see the lens in action! We’ll be looking to pick up either this lens or the GM 70-200 before we head back overseas.

[@JakeSloan]

Excellent! Hopefully we have a good summer!! Cheers

[@moseswatson3407]

instaBlaster...

[@kathyweigelhi-lophotovideo2984]

I was out of breath sitting on my couch watching you:). As always great review.

[@JakeSloan]

Thank you!

[@FowlEdge]

I can't wait to get mine, great review! Thanks!

[@JakeSloan]

Likewise. I hated to send this one back but I cannot wait to get my own copy when they are released!!! Cheers and thanks

[@rookie208]

How do you not have more subscribers? I get more out of your videos than most that have way more subs. If Alaska wasn't so cold I'd move there lol. Alaska is a photographer's gold mine! Great job and thanks for the great videos!

[@JakeSloan]

It really is a fantastic place to live and thank you so much for the kind words!

[@GaryJahman]

Nice video Jake! Glad that everything is quite flat here in The Netherlands lol So no uphill hiking here! Can't wait to get my hands on this :)

[@JakeSloan]

You will enjoy it a lot when you get it. I can image you will still find some amazing sights to photograph there!! Cheers

[@jolebole-yt]

Looks like I need another Tamron for my camera bag😬. Great review and scenery 👍🏻

[@JakeSloan]

Lol you just might!

[@Howierams]

I'm loving Tamron right now! Making lenses for A7 affordable!

[@JakeSloan]

They really are. It's amazing you can own all three lenses and an A7III (best hybrid photo/video camera currently IMO) for less than what you could buy one FF camera body and a lens a few years ago is amazing! Cheers

[@ReelLightPictures]

Fantastic job Jake! I take my A73 on hikes all the time and have definitely felt the need for the telephoto reach. This will definitely be giving me that light weight option I’ve been missing. And that APSC mode pushing the video to 270mm will definitely be useful... (and even further with clear image zoom)

[@JakeSloan]

Oh man!!!! When you take this hiking if you’ve ever used the GM70-200 you notice a HUGE difference! I was shocked by how much lighter my bag was lol. Thank god too because falling through the snow a lot it was hard enough 😜 and yeah the extra reach with the apsc mode/clear image zoom the reach is huge

[@ReelLightPictures]

Jake Sloan I haven’t owned the GM 70-200 2.8, but I came from the Canonosphere, so I owned the 70-200 2.8 L II, which is about the same size as the GM, so yes, I know. If I dont want to lose the megapixels, I’ll put this on the a6400 and it will be a 270 24 megapixel stills lens.

[@Andy1076]

The tunnel is SO narrow but cool to see 😃 So happy that you are doing this with an a7iii, I have been wondering if I needed to upgrade to the a7r3 to get the fullest out of this lens. That zoom sharpness is insane! Even at full the details are still impressive. Thank you for the hard work to make this video! ☺

[@JakeSloan]

You’re welcome! I picked up my copy today and I’m excited to put it to use up here. This lens and my 17-28 will be with me on every trip from now on. Such a great combo with the A7III

[@Andy1076]

@@JakeSloanCan't wait to get mine! Thank you for the reply :)

[@dsfarag]

Another great video. Thanks Jake.

[@JakeSloan]

Thank you sir!

[@adrianalfordphotography]

Awesome review Jake. I think the fact you can get all 3 lenses for close to the price of one GM lens sells me. You would know especially when hiking weight is the number one priority with gear. The trinity combo with either the A7R3 or A73 would be the perfect budget travel kit. Thanks for sharing the video 👍🙏

[@JakeSloan]

You're welcome and you're right the three Tamron lenses are a nearly perfect trinity for travel photographers and videographers. The sharpness and resolution on this rivals or at least is equal t the GM 70-200 2.8 which is crazy! Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@PaulFeinberg]

Awesome stuff as always.....man I want this lens lol

[@JakeSloan]

Thanks Paul! It’s a really great lens!

[@MrEddieNunez]

That tunnel is so cool! LOL

[@JakeSloan]

Right? It’s awesome

[@ulrickteissier363]

You make the best tamron 70-180 landscape lens review! Such a great environnemental review and by the way Tamron autofocus on this one seems to be better than the two other two zoom lens. I think that they upgrade focus motor. Great job Tamron. Please tamron give us a 200mm prime f2 or 1.8...thanks

[@JakeSloan]

that would be Wonderfull! You're welcome cheers!

[@bryancc2012]

familiar with the road, Alaska! drive several times on it. nice video

[@JakeSloan]

Awesome! Cheers

[@giulioonlus3642]

U saved my credit card.. This lens is amazing...

[@JakeSloan]

Ahhahahahahaha best comment ever. This lens is great. I think the only downside is the lack of stabilization for shooting photos in low light at slower shutter speeds hand held but beyond that its is excellent. If it did have stabilization I can imagine it would be at least 500 grams heavier too. cheers

[@giulioonlus3642]

Jake Sloan true. It’s a bummer for the stabilization though the fact that it’s lighter and cheaper than a G master 70-200, ticks off all of my needs in a perfect lens. I will be joining your live I think soon....

[@JakeSloan]

Wonderful I hope to see you this Wednesday at 4pm Alaska time! I'll be happy to try and answer questions you might have.

[@giulioonlus3642]

Jake Sloan I hope so too, that means the stream is at 1AM for me

[@JakeSloan]

Oh goodness well maybe I don't hope to see you on the stream. at least that means you would be sleeping lol

[@matthijsdedeugd]

Hey mate, great video. A question about tripods; I noticed you used the PD tripod in this video, but you were also positive about the iFootage TC5. When do you use which and which do you like best? I'm in doubt between those two. Thanks!

[@JakeSloan]

Oh man. I still have and use my TC5 a lot! It’s my favorite with the fluid head for video. I probably lean toward the PD for photo and anything where I have a long hike since it weighs the least. From a stability standpoint they are close but I’d give the edge to the TC5 if there is wind etc.

[@raulquinom6230]

This lens will fit all my needs as a hobby photographer

[@JakeSloan]

Fantastic it’s a superb lens!

[@raulquinom6230]

I will save money until buy it for sure, thanks Jake Sloan for share your video, and beautiful Please 👏👍

[@patrick.771]

The 67mm filter thread is a huge plus for the Tamron lenses (and also for the Sony A7 III in general). Very practical for hiking and for those who don't like the square filter systems. On a Nikon Z6 the filter size varies from lens to lens. The only thing I would miss on the Tamrons is the M/A focus switch.

[@JakeSloan]

Agreed! I find I don't miss the manual focus button as much as I thought I would since I programed my AEL button to toggle AF on/off. except for when I occasionally bump it like in this video 😂

[@patrick.771]

@@JakeSloan thanks. never owned a Sony before so I didn't know how to solve the "missing A/M focus switch problem". Still undetermined if I should go with A73 or Nikon Z6 but that's now not a minus for Sony anymore. :)

[@JakeSloan]

ooohhhh either one would be a great camera. I am working on a series of A7III videos now to talk through how I set mine up settings etc. I hope they help you decide! Cheers

[@apmor3738]

Great review Jake. I'm loving your videos. Such awesome scenery to test this lens on. I just got this lens and I'm loving it so far. Wanted to ask you a question regarding this lens. Is it normal for it to click when you invert it? My copy seems to click louder than usual, at least louder than my other zooms. I'm assuming it's the new VXD motor since the clicking stops once I mount it to my camera body and turn it on. Haven't had any issues with the actual lens thus far but just wanted to know if it's a bad copy. Show less

[@JakeSloan]

Mine does as well. It think its the focus motor module moving around when the lens isn't "active" Also the loaner unit I was sent did it as well. Cheers!!

[@apmor3738]

Awesome! Good to know and thanks for the response. Not sure why haven't done it before but just subscribed. Thanks again 👍

[@Kflem]

Love this lens!

[@JakeSloan]

Me too!!

[@marklazenby703]

Nice review. It came a bit late for me as I recently purchased the Sony 70-200 f/4.

[@JakeSloan]

Oohhh thats a great lens too I hear. I hope you like it a lot and get out to use it often! Cheers

[@jessicaarverne1181]

You nailed it!

[@JakeSloan]

Thank you!

[@ReelLightPictures]

BTW, that out of focus shot at 3:30, due to your camera being bumped, wouldn’t be an issue if Sony gives us the side flip out screen like we’ve been screaming for. (Out to the side instead of on top like the a6400, because on a gimbal, you can’t go to underslung with the screen folded up)

[@JakeSloan]

Exactly right!! I have the little mirror but it was so bright I could barely see anything when my sun glasses were off 😂😂 let alone see the screen clearly

[@ReelLightPictures]

Jake Sloan lets hope the A7s3/s4 gets it. C’mon Sony, give us the EOS R5 with an e-mount.

[@madsurvivers]

@@JakeSloan what mirror?? Can u share the link?

[@JakeSloan]

Sure I did a whole video about it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2qqaYejgMhppZI Cheers

[@dominiclester3232]

Nice video, thanks!

[@JakeSloan]

Glad you liked it!

[@brotherted9212]

Your shoot location had so much light, I’m wondering if the Tamron 70-300mm/f4.5-6.3 would have served you better? Thoughts?

[@JakeSloan]

It might have except it hadn’t been released yet

[@jakeschannel1066]

Awesome video Jake! Firstly... lol you are trolling me with that guitar, i commented last time i wanted to hear it haha, did you play it last livestream? (i've been missing it cause of timezone difference 😭) Anyways, i have some questions: 1. Firstly, is there an easy way to switch between 4k 24fps and 1080 120fps? Every-time i switch i goto the settings, change the resolution, then change the shutter-speed and it takes so long and i know their is an easier/faster way out there! 2. Do you shoot 4k 100mbps or 60mbps? Is there much of a difference though? 3. What picture profile do you use especially for cinematic shots? Sorry for all the questions lol, thanks :) btw i just watched a video you made called Alaska Through My Eyes: A Short Film from like 5 months ago for the first time and holy sh** it it's amazing! I swear at times i felt like I was watching a National Geographic movie!

[@JakeSloan]

Rofl. I’ll keep trolling you then 😜. I setup my memory 1 as 4K 24 @ 100 and I set MR 2 as my 1080. I plan on doing a video about my settings and setup soon!

[@jakeschannel1066]

@@JakeSloan Awesome, thanks!

[@lcprod]

Grande Jake !

[@JakeSloan]

Thank you Ellsi!!!

[@wingcreator]

This baby has no tripod collar. I saw you have a lens plate kind of holding the Tamron 70-180, may I know what that is and if it works more for video? As I need to find out as I am a landscape shooting trying to get it to work alongside my 70-200GM. I feel that no tripod collar is an opportunity missed by Tamron as the extended barrel will add movement even on tripod?

[@JakeSloan]

The lens is lightweight enough that it doesn't need a lens collar to support the weight like the GM 70-200 does. The Plate you see in my video is just a long Arca Swiss compatible plate that my gimbal uses. It's similar to this one: amzn.to/2X8sBa9 (affiliate link). Unlike the other tamron lenses the 70-180 has a large enough diameter that it sits on the plate (which also interferes with the manual focus ring). I hope that helps! Cheers

[@laragagliardi1190]

hi jake, i was wondering if you noticed that your lens sounded like something was loose in it when it shook at all? the one i received in the mail does, but it seems to work fine.

[@JakeSloan]

In the loaner copy and my new lens yes there is something that moves inside but it doesn’t affect the performance.

[@laragagliardi1190]

@@JakeSloan have you also noticed it is loud when you turn it on?

[@potatoman1302]

great video, thx!

[@JakeSloan]

Glad you liked it!

[@madsurvivers]

Iam guessing you are using a single camera body to film yourself. How safe is it be changing lenses all the time in the wild?? i mean out in the field on hikes. i have a7iii too.

[@JakeSloan]

Yes I am and it does pose some danger of getting dirt into the camera body so I only do it when absolutely needed. I always have a blower with me as well so I can blow out dust if needed. I never change lenses when in dirty environments or extremely cold environments.

[@cow77cow]

I planning to buy an a7 iii and the three tamron zooms.

[@JakeSloan]

Great plan! If you plan on doing more video than photo work consider the a7c as well. I did a compared here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnizZYxsg5l_mrM

[@hourvoyses3522]

Good content!

[@JakeSloan]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MrEddieNunez]

Great review Jake. I'm actually looking for a 70-200 for my Sony mirrorless and haven't invested in the Sony GM because their version is so outdated. This looks like a great option!

[@JakeSloan]

I think it's a great option especially if you carry it around a lot. The weight savings is substantial! I would also say the sharpness and detail is equal to or rivals the GM 70-200 from sony. That test will come soon lol Cheers man

Let's be real, you haven't bought it because it's very expensive, it's not outdated

[@-AnakinSkywalker]

I’m going to pick one up, and get the 150-500mm when it drops in price a bit

[@JakeSloan]

good plan!

[@mohamadameenah5592]

Hi I just got a new Tamron 70-180 when I take it out of the box, I felt something shaking inside it also Made in Vietnam, I’ve 28-75 lens without any problem it is Made in Japan! Any idea if this a problem and what is this weird sound? Does anyone have a Tamron lens made in Japan? Thanks

[@JakeSloan]

That is normal. It’s the focusing unit moving when the lens isn’t energized

[@josephrogers7695]

His voice in the first three clips went 📈

[@JakeSloan]

lol

[@cosmoinstant]

It'd be cool if they made an f4 version with the same quality but even smaller and lighter

[@JakeSloan]

That would be amazing

[@helloterran]

There's no point since Sony's own APSC 55-210 3.5-5.6 has FF coverage above 160, Making it the lightest 160-210 FF telephoto zoom in existense.

[@francoisgodofe]

I''m wondering how that lens perform at 180mm without stabilization if you shoot anything moving.

[@JakeSloan]

François Godofe faster shutter speeds are no problem for photos. Lower light would be more difficult for sure. For video it’s not too bad if you can stabilize the camera and make smooth movements with it.

[@francoisgodofe]

@@JakeSloan thanks for your answer Sir. Because for me, that's one of the good points of the GM, having the stabilization. In your case, doing landscape, the Tamron seems great even if a bit soft at 180 for what I have seen though, but for people using a 70-200 for sport, let's say indoor where you're gonna fight for light, that's when you really want the lens to help you reduce any high settings concerning ISO or Shutter. That's why I'm not confident about that lens yet because I have seen no review about that and have a feeling it's gonna be to me to test that =)

[@francoisgodofe]

@@JakeSloan What I mean by problem about faster shutter in photo is, if at the lens end, there is no stabilization to help, you may shake more and have to increase your shutter, and depending of the light situation, may have to increase the ISO and then get more noise. I'm sure you know what I mean =)

[@SunriseWaterMedia]

Is that place you hiked off-limits for drones? Also, everybody give a round of applause to Jake for going through that 8:09.

[@JakeSloan]

Sunrise Water Media lol thank you! I felt the sacrifice was worth it but 😳. This place is in the Chugach National Forest so not off limits but depending on conditions wildlife etc being smart about flying them is wise

[@SunriseWaterMedia]

@@JakeSloan Ah yeah, good point about being mindful of wildlife. Guys like you, 51 Drones, Geeksvana, DtoningON, and Ken Heron are great examples of how to fly safely and legally. There are other channels that that post videos showing them knowingly not following FAA rules (like flying over moving traffic) and they bite the heads off of anyone who mentions flying safely. 🤷‍♂️ Thanks for setting a good example.

[@JakeSloan]

Yeah I cringe every time I see those videos. But all we can do is spread the word and help set a good example! I did fly my Skydio a bit here (you saw the shots) but then an eagle started to take interest so that was it for flying the drone 😂😂😂

[@CharlieLiuPhotography]

How easy is it to bump your camera into manual focus on the Tamron 17-28?

[@JakeSloan]

It's actually not easy at all but I have a custom button set to toggle between AF and MF that I bumped just before shooting that shoot and because it was so bright I couldn't see it was out of focus. Cheers!

[@CharlieLiuPhotography]

@@JakeSloan thanks for the great review

[@JakeSloan]

You're welcome!

[@ziadelghoul3373]

Ok I can't make mind anymore 🤦🏽‍♂️ I'd love to have 1 lense for portrait and for zoom(wild photography) too. Which one should I get? I'd appreciate your help. The reason for one lense is the budget obviously. Camera a7iii

[@JakeSloan]

This one would be great for that. 70-85 for portrait work and the rest for wildlife is excellent.

[@ziadelghoul3373]

@@JakeSloan Would you be able to get the blurry background for portrait? Do you have sample raw pictures that I can please?

[@steveschnetzler5471]

Wish they would make lenses for Lmount.

[@JakeSloan]

I can imagine they are considering it after the success of these lenses for Sony

[@BarZen]

Is this lens better for full frame or aps-c

[@JakeSloan]

this is for full frame

[@johnjohnson9110]

Any release updates?

[@JakeSloan]

John Johnson they have started shipping! Mine came in today!

[@mbenjamin292]

I have a Sony a7ii do you think this is a good lens?

[@JakeSloan]

yes this is a great lens!

[@mybudinesd4545]

Snow shoes or cross country skis

[@JakeSloan]

exactly

[@cathyp4500]

So... Is this the same tunnel that caved in a couple of years ago? Yikes!

[@JakeSloan]

"collapsed" might be an exaggeration. They found some weak spots in the ceiling and fixed them

[@coachMiguelfishing]

How long is this delay going to be I been trying to order it since the 14th

[@JakeSloan]

I have no idea but they only just started shipping the 14th so many stores won’t have them until the next day or two. It will be a hard to get lens so watch different stores and websites for stock!

[@CesarBorgaro]

just ordered mine through ebay, brand new, is on its way!

[@dannyli9424]

As a landscape photographer doing lots of hiking and backpacking, for my Sony system, i would rather go with the Canon 70-200 F4L II IS instead of this Tamron, for the same weight, the Canon is sharper and has much better built quality, it doesn't feel as cheap in your hand as the Tamron, it also has lens built in stabilization for those Camera that doesn't have that, not that is important for landscape as you will be shooting on tripod most of the time, but it's there when you need it.

[@JakeSloan]

I prefer lenses with native focus ability but I can totally see your point!

[@dannyli9424]

@@JakeSloan native focus ability, do you mean auto focus?

[@RicochetForce]

@@dannyli9424 He means native E-Mount lenses. Using adapters is almost never a good thing and leads to a ton of compromises, and yes you typically lose access to things like AF.

[@izoyt]

all is needed for perfect tamron set, is 2x teleconverter.

[@JakeSloan]

oh man that would be amazing!!

[@CherryandTrevor]

are there polar bears there?🤔

[@JakeSloan]

No grizzly bear and black bears yes. polar bears live much further north. Cheers!

[@user-pp2su9bc2n]

Не надо включать так громко музыку. 🤔

[@JakeSloan]

I like loud music...

[@CocoKoi321]

tamron 28-75 is trash dude, the 17-70 is the same thing and has tamron stabilization and 100 bucks less

[@JakeSloan]

The 17-70 is for APSC the 28-75 is for full frame “dude”

[@daltonrandall4348]

Decent shots, but it was a bit annoying having to sit through minutes and minutes of you being late, getting lost, and overreacting to how much snow there is on a snowy mountain.

[@JakeSloan]

Thanks for the feedback

[@phaceless1]

This gave the video more impact making it different from all the rest of the reviews that give the same info. Your effort gives your review more credibility. Thank you Mr Sloan

[@daltonrandall4348]

@@phaceless1 How does getting lost add to a video's credibility?