TAMRON SP 70-200MM F/2.8 DI VC USD G2

This Tamron lens ticks all the right boxes for a classic 70-200mm zoom and is noticeably less heavy than the competing Sigma

THERE ARE PLENTY OF PRO-GRADE FEATURES PACKED INTO THE METAL BARREL OF THIS TAMRON G2 (GENERATION 2) ZOOM. ITS OPTICAL DESIGN HAS BEEN REFINED TO INCREASE SHARPNESS AND CONTRAST, WHILE REDUCING COLOUR FRINGING, GHOSTING AND FLARE. THE AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM IS UPRATED

FOR FASTER, MORE ACCURATE PERFORMANCE, AND THE VC (VIBRATION COMPENSATION) SYSTEM HAS THREE SWITCHABLE MODES AND UP TO 5-STOP EFFECTIVENESS. AS WITH THE CANON RF 70-200MM ON TEST,

THE THIRD MODE GIVES AN UNADULTERATED VIEWFINDER IMAGE, AS STABILISATION IS ONLY APPLIED DURING ACTUAL EXPOSURES.

ALONG WITH A FULL SET OF WEATHER-SEALS, THE LENS HAS A FLUORINE COATING ON THE FRONT ELEMENT. AS WITH THE SIGMA 70-200MM

SPORTS LENS, THE TAMRON G2 HAS A TRIPOD MOUNT RING WITH AN ARCASWISS COMPATIBLE FOOT. HOWEVER, THE TAMRON’S MOUNTING RING CAN BE COMPLETELY REMOVED, WITHOUT LEAVING A PROTRUDING STUB. THE

LENS IS ALSO NOTICEABLY SMALLER AND ABOUT 300G LIGHTER THAN THE SIGMA, AND HAS A MORE TYPICAL 77MM FILTER THREAD.

ANOTHER SIMILARITY WITH THE SIGMA LENS IS CONNECTIVITY WITH AN OPTIONAL USB DOCKING STATION. THIS TIME IT’S TAMRON’S ‘TAPIN CONSOLE’, WHICH YOU CAN USE FOR CUSTOMISATION, FINE-TUNING

AND APPLYING FIRMWARE UPDATES. A KEY UPGRADE OVER THE

PREVIOUS EDITION OF THE LENS IS THAT THE G2 IS COMPATIBLE WITH TAMRON’S 1.4X AND 2.0X TELE-CONVERTERS.

IMAGE QUALITY IS HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE, ALTHOUGH IT ISN’T AS

SHARP AS THE OTHER LENSES ON TEST AT WIDE APERTURES FROM

F/2.8 TO F/4. DISTORTIONS AND CHROMATIC ABERRATIONS ARE

MINIMAL AND THERE’S GOOD RESISTANCE TO GHOSTING AND FLARE.