Tamron says that the new 150-500mm F5-6.7 has a compact design, even when shooting at 500mm telephoto end, that makes handheld shooting practical. Not surprisingly for a 150-500mm. it's pretty heavy at 1,725g, but it does come with a tripod collar for mounting on a tripod or monopod. It's 209.6mm long, and has a maximum diameter of 93mm.
The 'VXD' in the name stands for Tamron's Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive, a linear motor focussing mechanism that's both fast and quiet. At the 150mm end this is also particularly important as the lens offers an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.6m for powerful and dramatic close-ups.
It also has Tamron's VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization system, with Standard, Panning, and Framing Priority modes.
(Image credit: Tamron)
The optical construction consists of 25 elements arranged in 16 groups, and includes one one XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) element, five LD (Low Dispersion), and two Hybrid Aspherical lens elements to control aberration, including axial chromatic aberration. The aim is for the 150-500mm F5-6.7 to be compact and usable without any compromises in image quality.
Other features include a minimum focusing distance of 0.6m and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.1, depending on the zoom setting, so this is a lens designed for close-range nature shots, not just distant wildlife.
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Tamron's BBAR-G2 Coating is used to minimize ghosting and flare, and the lens has a moisture-resistant construction and fluorine coating to protect against the elements.
Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD specifications
Model number: A057 Full frame: Yes Autofocus: Yes Image stabilization: Yes Focal Length: 150-500mm Optical Construction: 25 elements in 16 groups Aperture Blades: 7 (circular diaphragm) Max. Aperture: F5-6.7 Min. Aperture: F22-32 Angle of View (diagonal): 16°25'- 4°57' (for full-frame mirrorless format) MOD: 0.6m (23.6 in) (WIDE) / 1.8m (70.9 in) (TELE) Max. Mag. Ratio: 1:3.1(WIDE) / 1:3.7(TELE) Filter Size: 82mm Max. Diameter: 93mm Length: 209.6mm Weight: 1,725g, tripod mount 155g
Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD price
Interestingly, the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is significantly smaller than Sony’s existing FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. In fact, it is very nearly as compact as the Sony FE 100-400mm G Master super-telephoto zoom lens, while offering appreciable more zoom reach.
Even more importantly, the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD significantly undercuts the Sony lenses at an expected price of $1,399/£1,380, and expected to go on sale in June 2021.
Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
