Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD IF Macro Lens for Sony Digital SLR Cameras Model (A001S)

by Tamron

• The new SP AF70-200mm F/2.8 zoom lens
• Excellent macro magnification of 1:3.1
• Includes case and lens hood
• Removable lightweight Tripod Holder
• Manufacturers Warranty 6 year

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 6 inches ; 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012GFPPG
• Item model number: AF001S-700
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (183 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 18, 2005

Product Description

Style: Sony DSLR

The Tamron SP AF70-200mm R/2.8 Di LD [IF] Macro for Sony AF Mount is the newest in Tamron's long line of high quality lenses. This light weight ultra fast telephoto zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f:2.8. No matter where you zoom, this lens will retain this fast aperture, great for low light or sports photography. The built in macro feature of this lens gives great close up capabilities with a magnification ration of 1:3.1. Designed to use on both full frame and APS sized sensors and constructed with 18 lens elements in 13 groups you will be able to product razor sharp images no matter what camera body you use. Attach the included tripod mount for enhanced balance and stability. Feature packed, this lens comes standard with lens hood, case, and Tamron's unsurpassed 6 year manufacturers warranty.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

270 of 277 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars No brainer 4.5 stars June 16, 2010

By Brent Pearcy

Style Name:Nikon DSLR|Amazon Verified Purchase

All of you out there that are reading this review of the Tamron 70-200 are probably in one of two categories. 1) Looking for a fast low light zoom but don't wont to pay the price of the Nikon/Canon 2.8 tele or 2) Your looking for a backup telezoom for your Nikon/Canon. I do wedding, family, sports shoots as a side biz and I'm in category 1. You're probably worried about buying it and it not Auto Focusing fast enough or having some other issues that you've read......because that was a concern of mine. Let me put you at ease.....don't worry, the Tamron 70-200 is fantastic! In fact I was so pleased that I ended up purchasing other Tamron lenses. The 28-75 f/2.8 and also the 17-35 f/2.8-4mm and all 3 have been exceptional to say the least.

AF - Lets get to what everyone is concerned about...Auto Focus. I have two Nikons that I've use this lens on. A D5000 (cropped 1.5x sensor) that I use for quick pics of the kids and vacations (non paying gigs) and a D700 full frame for my professional paying gigs and if the kids have very special events like my daughters kindergarten graduation. I'm really not seeing what everyone is fussing about this lens AF's just as fast as my Nikon DX lens....55-200 VR for example. I use this lens for in and out doors and have never had a problem with it auto focusing. It's like any lens you use.....take a person dressed in black standing in front of a black background and any lens will have a hard time trying to find the focus. Adjust your focal point on the face where the contrast is different and boom it finds it. This is only rare occasions but it does happen sometimes and it also happens with my Nikkors. One thing I do notice is my D700 AF quicker compared to my D5000. It's not by much but it is noticeable, but not an issue. I honestly believe it's due to the difference of the AF systems in the two cameras. D700 is known for its superb AF.

AF Accuracy - Spot on, never a problem. I have my D700 set where it will not release the shutter unless it's in focus and I've never have had a problem with it being fooled or hunting for focus unless it's in a dark closet.

AF loudness - Is the Tamron louder than the Nikkor lenses when Auto focusing? Yes it is. It's not quiet but it's not loud by any means. You have to remember you're the one looking through the viewfinder and of course you're going to hear it. Others won't even notice it. The shutter closing/opening when taking a picture is twice as loud as the Tamron AF system. It's not even an issue. I don't know if I would take it out to the Amazon taking pics of dangerous and exotic animals where my life depended on it......but then again you'd still probably be ok. Remember the shutter is louder than the auto focus.....again it's not even an issue I don't think.

Sharpness - Super sharp at all focal lengths. I've actually have been very pleased with all of my Tamrons and the sharpness it produces. When hand held at 200mm 2.8 it is a tad softer but 95% of that is due to camera shake. I've tested this and have mounted it on a tripod at that setting with sharp as a tack results. Vibration Reduction or Tamrons VC would be a huge plus but it's not totally necessary.

Construction - Very well made, very hefty and durable. I've used Nikons version and it's a fantastic piece of engineering that is weather sealed, built like a tank and is without a doubt more durable. I think this is where the price difference is. The Tamron is not cheap feeling by any means. When you hold it you know its made very well but the Nikon just takes that to another level which is why its $2000 plus US dollars and the fact this it has Vibration Reduction. If you're going to be going through some rugged terrain on a paid photo shoot it would only make sense to purchase the Nikon. Honestly if you took care of the Tamron and kept it clean I'm sure it could make it out fine also but I wouldn't try it.

Overall - Superb sharpness, old school but very effective AF system and AF accuracy, AF noise is not a problem and is really not even loud enough to even mention in this review but I know people have brought it up and are concerned. I'm 100% pleased. Even if I would have paid more I still would have been pleased but that's the beauty of Tamron. Giving you a great professional lens at a great price. Quick story: I was outside under the patio just a couple of days ago taking pics of the massive storm that we had here in Oklahoma using this lens. I would AF on the clouds and press the shutter and to my surprise the shutter would not release. Remember I have it set where it will not take the pic unless it's in perfect focus. After a few times of this I was getting very frustrated and thought to myself........this is what everyone must be talking about when they mean the Tamron has trouble AFing. Few seconds later the shutter goes off taking pics of nothing. I'm thoroughly confused now and then it hit me. Just a day earlier I was taking some self portraits for my online profile and I was using the auto delay 20 second timer and I still had it in that setting.......sigh.....I was quick to blame the Tamron....poor Tamron.

8/19/10 UPDATE:
I've owned this lens going on 3 months now and have used it extensively for indoor events (weddings) and low light evening portrait sessions. I'm still very pleased with the performance. There is one thing I'm a little disappointed in but its not a deal breaker but enough to drop my original 5 star rating to a 4.5.

Sharpness -
At f2.8 and 200mm the sharpness takes a hit some, its actually more of a soft image.....especially in low lighting. If you back off the focal length to 165mm or under it improves. Stopping down to f4 is razor sharp. Its annoying that I can't use f2.8 for razor sharp pics but in reality there's not a lot of lens that are razor sharp when completely stopped down to its maximum, with the exception to some. I'm finding all my Tamrons are this way at f2.8. Of course when asking owners of the $1750 Nikon 24-70 2.8 and $2200 Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR they all say its tack sharp at 2.8.

Auto focusing -
Its still does a great job at AFing but now that I'm getting used to other lenses in my bag (Nikon primes and Tamron Zooms) and then coming back to this 70-200 I am seeing a difference in speed. Its not much and its not a problem but I do feel the difference. Its a tad slower....even slower than my Tamron 28-75 2.8 which in my opinion is still fast. My Tamron 17-35 2.8 does not have internal AF and is a screwdriver cam type where you rely on the camera to do the AFing. Its so fast that it can become violent..it will take your finger off if not careful...ha,ha.

148 of 155 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tamron vs. it's main competitors May 12, 2010

By OZ

Style Name:Nikon DSLR

I was doing my research prior to buying this lens for couple of weeks. I read everything I could find on the internet about this lens as well as it's competitors.

First, let me provide you with quick summary of my findings:

1. Major competitors for this lens are:

a. Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 OS. This lens is very sharp according to all reviews I read. It has fast and precise auto focus, high quality image stabilization. This is clearly the best lens out there. The negative side is cost (3 times as much as Tamron!) and watch out for defective lens (quality control issues). Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S NIKKOR Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

b. Sigma 70-200mm f2.8. This version doesn't have image stabilizer. Compare to Tamron it has faster focus but lower quality glass. Image resolution is significantly lower and shows worse results with teleconverters then you get with Tamron. There are some complains about focus motor goes bad and coating of the lens is easy to scratch. I also want to mention that tests showed slight color cast with Sigma lens. There is a new version available for pre-order that has image stabilization. Nobody tested this new version yet, also cost went up 2 times! Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG HSM II Macro Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

c. Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 - No Image Stabilization. This lens received good feedback from user community and from pros. Resolution is good but not as sharp as Tamron. Cost is about 50% more. There are number of complains about quality of manual/auto focus switch that breaks by it-self. Cost of repair is about $130. Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2. Now lets talk about Tamron 70-200mm for Nikon. I got this lens 2 days ago and shot lots of subjects and test charts to calibrate focus and evaluate performance.

a. Focus speed - This is THE MOST common complain about this lens. The focus motor on this lens is faster then screwdriver used on 50mm 1.8 prime, but not even close to Nikkor 16-85mm VR. It's not fast but acceptable in most situations. I usually track my subject for a little while before pulling trigger, so speed should not be a problem. Sometimes this lens takes a while to focus (like 2 seconds). It happens when room has low lights or subject doesn't have contrast edge. Tip: release shutter and press again and it will focus way quicker second time. Focusing performance is fine with flashlight focus assist lamp. I feel that focus is not great, but acceptable sacrifice for high quality glass and lower cost.

b. Resolution - I was concerned with results from dpreview that showed major degradation in sharpness at 135mm f2.8. I'm happy to report that it's not a case with my sample. Resolution is very good from 70-170mm and goes somewhat softer by 200mm at f2.8 aperture. Stopping down to f3.2 from f2.8 increases resolution significantly for entire zoom range. Note: 3.2 vs. 2.8 is only 1/3 EV stop. The sweet aperture spot for my sample is f3.5 to f8. I got very decent results from f3.2 to f16. In general, sharpness in sweet spot is the same as my prime 50mm f1.8 lens at f4.0 aperture (the sharpest aperture for this lens).

c. Contrast - somewhat low at f2.8 but is fine by f3.2 aperture setting.

d. Manual Focus - I liked clutch type focus ring. If you pull focus ring toward camera body it goes to manual focus, push it outside and auto focus is engaged. It's fast and easy. Try it couple of times and it feels natural to use. However, it's not easy to focus at 200mm 2.8. Depth of field is extremely shallow and any minor errors are very easy to see.

e. Macro performance - Tamron is the only lens out of all listed that offers you reasonable macro performance. Sigma and Nikon can't focus as close as Tamron can.

f. Calibration results - lens had front focus which I was able to correct using Nikon D300 lens adjustment settings.

Couple of words about Image stabilization. Image Stabilization allows you to use slower shutter speed by an average of 3 EV stops. Let's say you can make sharp picture without image stabilization at 1/200s with 200mm zoom.Image stabilization would allow you to make similar sharp image at 1/25s 200mm. Image stabilization works great with static objects, but doesn't help with moving objects. You need shutter speed faster then 1/200s to avoid blurry pictures.

Conclusion: I feel that this lens is a good choice for people who want high quality pictures and don't want to spend $2,000. Professionals may want to go all the way up to Nikon 70-200mm. Tamron has awesome optics, good quality construction, acceptable autofocus and reasonable price.

95 of 102 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A wolf in sheeps clothing! September 16, 2009

By Stephen E. Mcgowan

Style Name:Nikon DSLR

I have owned this lens since November and have taken 1000 plus pics with it. 25% of them are out of focus! I have used it on a 40D, XTI and 50D. I have been shooting middle school sports for 8 years and used a 70-200 f4l, 70-300IS, 85 1.8, and a Tamron 28-75 2.8. All focus much faster and more accurately. All the glowing reviews you read from most users are true, if the image is in focus, The image quality is great. But just like ALL professional review sites point out, this lens mis-focuses much to often for critical once in a lifetime shots. If you cant check your shot and reshoot if needed, do not use this lens. I got this lens to replace the F4L and there is no way I can do that. If the IQ of the 7D at high ISO 3200-6400 are any good I will sell this lens and get that and not need 2.8 for low light any longer.

Here is a quote from the most popular photo website in the world, During testing of this lens.

One problem we encountered with this lens in real-world shooting was a higher than expected proportion of slightly defocused images, especially visible when shooting at F2.8 where the depth of field can be extremely shallow. This was not a systematic 'front-focus' or 'back-focus' problem, but instead an apparently random tendency to miss focus slightly in situations for which we would normally expect a 100% hit rate. This issue persisted across a variety of camera bodies, from the EOS 450D through to the EOS-1D Mark III, so we can only conclude that it is a problem with the lens itself.

Good luck with your purchase.