Tamron 70-200mm G2
Tamron’s ‘second generation’ fast tele zoom takes the fight to Nikon’s latest and greatest 70-200mm lens
Tamron’s ‘second generation’ fast tele zoom takes the fight to Nikon’s latest and greatest
Look no further than the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8e FL ED VR, if you want the best 70200mm f/2.8 lens on the planet. It’s got all the features you could ever possibly need, a rock-solid construction, and delivers spectacular image quality. That’s all well and good if you happen to have around £2800/$2800 burning a hole in your pocket. Tamron’s 70-200mm G2 (Generation 2) lens goes toe-totoe with the Nikon in every area of build and performance and for less than half the price.
A complete revamp of Tamron’s original 70-200mm VC lens, the G2’s optical path has been optimized to deliver greater sharpness and contrast, with a major reduction in colour fringing. Even the nanolens. structure EBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-dependency) coating has been refined to further resist ghosting and flare.
The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system has been uprated for faster performance, and the new-generation VC (Vibration Compensation) system delivers class-leading stabilization, gaining a five-stop rating in independent CIPA testing. That’s a full stop more than the VR in Nikon’s Two additional stabilization modes are added, one for panning and the other for applying stabilization during exposures, leaving the viewfinder view unadulterated. Like Nikon’s similar Sport VR mode, it’s ideal for tracking erratically moving subjects.
Build quality is improved over the original Tamron lens, with a metal rather than plastic barrel. A full set of weather-seals around all of the lenses joints and on the mounting plate
combine with a fluorine coating on the front element, which repels moisture and aids easy cleaning. The removable magnesium alloy tripod collar has an Arca-swiss compatible foot, for easy fitment on up-market tripods and monopods.
The lens is compatible with Tamron’s optional TAP-IN Console, which enables firmware updates to be applied via a USB link from a connected computer, as well as customization and fine-tuning of autofocus and Vibration Compensation. The G2 is also fully compatible with Tamron’s new 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.
Handling is a joy, with a smooth and fluid feel to the zoom and focus rings. As usual in this class of constant-aperture telephoto lens, the zoom and focus mechanisms are fully
internal, so the front element neither extends nor rotates during use.
Performance
Contrast is fabulous even when shooting wide-open, and sharpness is so nearly as good as from the Nikon lens that it’s generally impossible to spot the difference. True to its claims, autofocus is super-fast and the VC system is amazing. These facets of performance help to maintain stellar image quality even when tracking fast-moving subjects or shooting under dull lighting conditions.
When it comes to other factors of image quality, the Tamron is similarly superb. Colour fringing and distortions are negligible, bokeh is beautiful and the lens does well to minimize ghosting and flare. Overall, performance is simply spectacular.