Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Ultra Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Model A061N)

by Tamron

• World's smallest and lightest 28-300mm lens (June 2004)
• 28-300mm focal length
• f/3.5-6.3 maximum aperture
• XR (Extra Refractive Index) glass
• Multipurpose lens for Nikon 35mm film and digital SLRs; macro to telephoto ranges

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00066EK4A
• Item model number: AF061N-700
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 5, 2006

Product Description

Style: Nikon

From the Manufacturer

Reach out and grab distant detail, wildlife, and sports action with this amazing 11X extended range wide-to-super tele zoom that covers both full-frame and consumer DSLR (APS-C) formats allowing you to focus down to an incredible 0.49m(19.3") (1:2.9) for breathtaking close-ups. If there’s any compact zoom that does it all on digital and film SLRs, this is it.

Breathtaking close-ups

AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Highlights

Di II
Maintaining the high performance of the previous model, Tamron's 28-300mm zoom lens now features our "Di" design, making it the ideal lens for use with both digital and film cameras. The "Di" design is achieved by applying a new optical design to its coated surfaces, and by further enhancing our already stringent quality control system. Whether you shoot film or digital, the lens provides high image quality for both platforms. When used with APS-C size digital SLR cameras, the lens provides an angle of view equivalent to approximately 44-465mm, covering the standard to ultra telephoto range with no sacrifice of quality or aperture range.

Low Dispersion (LD)
Low dispersion (LD) glass elements in a lens help reduce chromatic aberration; the tendency of light of different colors to come to different points of focus at the image plane. Chromatic aberration reduces the sharpness of an image, but glass with an extremely lowdispersion index, has less of a tendency to separate (defract) a ray of light into a rainbow of colors. This characteristic allows the lens designer to effectively compensate for chromatic aberration at the center of the field (on axis), a particular problem at long focal lengths (the telephoto end of the zoom range), and for lateral chromatic aberration (towards the edges of the field) that often occurs at short focal lengths (the wide-angle end of the zoom range.)

Low Dispersion (LD) Glass for Greater Lens Sharpness

Anomalous Dispersion (AD) for Better Color Correction
Anomalous dispersion (AD) glass is a special type of optical glass that is used to achieve more precise control of chromatic aberrations, thereby enhancing overall imaging performance. Glass of this type provides an abnormally large partial dispersion ratio (amount of diffraction) for light of specific wavelength ranges (colors) within the visible spectrum. By combining AD glass having these special characteristics with elements made of normal glass having different dispersion characteristics, it is possible to control the dispersion factors of a specific wavelength. This enhanced level of control results in much lower levels of on-axis (central) chromatic aberration for telephoto lenses (or zooms used at tele-photo settings) and a significant reduction of lateral (peripheral) chromatic aber-ration for wide-angle lenses (or zooms used at wide-angle settings.)

Anomalous Dispersion

Extra Refractive Index Glass (XR)
Extra Refractive Index (XR) glass can bend light rays at steeper angles, thereby decreasing the physical length of the lens while enhancing imaging performance by minimizing optical aberrations. This has allowed Tamron to develop a line of shorter, smaller-diameter, lighter lenses without sacrificing lens speed, and actually upgrading image quality compared to older designs. XR glass is costlier than conventional glass but it yields enhanced optical power distribution, making possible many of the outstanding and innovative lens designs that bear the XR designation. XR glass, with its superior light-bending power, makes it possible to design a short-barrel lens with the same light-gathering ability (aperture value) as a long-barrel lens—even with a smaller lens diameter. By using this principle Tamron has been able to shorten the length of the entire optical system and produce lighter, more compact lenses of the same speed, and also to provide greater zoom ranges in lenses that are much more convenient to carry by hand.

Special glass for better performance and more compact lens designs

Aspherical Elements (ASL) Provide the Ultimate in Image Quality and Compactness)
Tamron uses several hybrid aspherical lens elements in many lenses bearing the Aspherical designation. These innovative optics allow us to achieve the ultimate in image quality, and at the same time produce lenses that offer remarkable zoom ranges in extraordinarily compact packages. By perfecting theses cutting-edge advances for series production, Tamron has advanced the state of optical design, and virtually eliminated spherical aberration and image distortion from the high-power-zoom series.Through the effective application of Hybrid Aspherical Technology, one lens elemen tcan take the place of multiple elements without compromising performance. This is what allows us to produce remarkably compact long-range lenses that deliver a uniformly high level of image quality at all focal lengths and apertures.

Achieve the ultimate in image quality with Asperical (ASL) lenses

Internal Focus (IF)
Internal focusing (IF) provides numerous practical benefits to photographers including a non-rotating front filter ring that facilitates the positioning of polarizing and graduated filters, and more predictable handling because the lens length does not change during focusing. Even more important, Tamron's Internal Focusing (IF) system provides a much closer minimum focusing distance (MFD) throughout its entire focusing range. In addition, IF improves optical performance by minimizing illumination loss at the corners of the image field, and helps to suppress other aberrations that become more troublesome at different focusing positions.

Zoom Lock (ZL)
Another original Tamron mechanical engineering concept is the Zoom Lock (ZL), a simple convenience feature that prevents undesired extension of the lens barrel when carrying the camera/lens unit on a neck strap.

Product Description

L1) 28-300MM F3.5-6.3 XR DI F/Nikon

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 129 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice all-around lens for Digital Rebel December 13, 2004

By D. Smith

Style Name:Canon

I love taking photos, but I hate carrying lots of equipment when photography is not the focus of my journey, so I looked to find a lens that was light, inexpensive, a useful focal range and decent sharpness given all of the above. I believe the Tamron fits the bill.

Although this lens will not win any points with 'L'-series purists, I found it to be a very useful - and lightweight - lens. Sure, it's slow... Sure - it has a plastic mount... Sure - it's not as sharp as a lot of lenses with smaller zoom ranges and bigger price tags... But for most people who aren't looking for poster-sized enlargements, a lens that won't break your shoulder or your bank account like the Tamron is a good fit. I have used this lens for a few weeks now, and have compared the results to the excellent Tamron 28-75 2.8 XR Di, the Canon 50mm 1.8 (the 'plastic fantastic'), and the kit lens. It does lack the tack-sharpness of the 50mm and the 28-75, but it is still very acceptable. The reach is what will 'wow' you about the lens. Outdoors in decent light you can really pull your subject up close. In a photo taken from the 6th story of a beach hotel, I was able to clearly read a standard beach umbrella-rental sign that was approx. 500 yards away.

Indoors, this lens is just too slow to be useful at full zoom, but does reasonably well between 28-100mm with built-in flash (just be sure to remove the lens hood or it will shadow the lower part of the frame) and even better with an external flash (I use the EX550).

The focus is quick and quiet in decent lighting, but it will hunt in darker scenes.

In short, if you want a lens that offers reasonable sharpness, an incredible focal range, lightness and compactness at an attractive price, then consider this lens. You may find, as I did, that it will let you take that long lens with you instead of leaving your gear behind... I would much rather have a picture that may not be 'as sharp' than the one I did not take because I left the two pound lens behind.

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you buy just one lens, this is it. June 21, 2005

By Lydia Lee

Style Name:Nikon

When I got my dslr, I did not get the "kit" lens. I wanted immediately to be able to take both macro and zoom shots, and I didn't have money for more than one good quality lens. So I researched and read reviews online and when I bought my new camera, I got the Tamron 28-300. I made a great choice. If you buy just one lens; this lens is it.

This lens' macro shots are clear and detailed. For example, in a picture I recently took of my Pomeranian each individual hair that sticks up is visible and clear, strand by strand.

The versatility of the lens allows me to take landscape pictures, photos of birds in my yard, portraits, nearly whatever strikes me. Every time they are crisp and the colors are good.

I love this lens; it is still my primary lens.

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great quality, terrific value December 16, 2004

By Gadgester HALL OF FAME

Style Name:Nikon

(Tamron also makes this lens available for Canon and Pentax digital SLRs, for the same price.)

This new digital SLR-friendly zoom lens from Tamron is a great way to acquire a high-quality zoom lens for a fraction of the cost if you bought from the camera maker (e.g., Nikkor). Tamron claims this is world's "smallest and lightest" zoom lens for the focal range. I have no idea if that's true. It's small and lightweight indeed, about the same size as the DX lens bundled with the Nikon D70 but feels lighter in the hand. To my eyes it's a plastic lens, but this made-in-Japan lens looks and feels solid. It has all the bells and whistles of a modern lens: XR, LD, asperical, plus macro capability. In real world shooting I'm very happy with the result, and I really don't think buying an official Nikkor lens would make much of a difference. Two things to keep in mind is, 1) as long as you buy a namebrand lens (Tamron, Sigma, and maybe Vivitar) you are getting a good deal, and 2) the marginal increase in lens quality (perceived or real) from the camera maker is extremely unlikely to improve pictures by any discernible amount. Give Ansel Adams a disposable camera and he would still take better pics than you and me, period. As long as you have a high quality, capable lens like this Tamron, you are armed with all the gear you need to NOT miss a great picture opportunity. The only ingredient nobody can sell, is your creativity. (Unfortunately the latter is what I lack and try to improve. For now, at least the Tamron is giving me the right tool.)

For digital Nikon SLRs, the 1.5 "magnification" factor (or crop factor) means the effective focal length of this Tamron is about 43-460mm in 35mm equivalent.

In short, this is a really top-quality lens that any Nikon D70 enthusiast should consider. It's a lot bang for the buck, and it's even made in Japan unlike many Nikon official lenses which are made in sweatshops in Southeast Asia.