Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 A047 great lens for Nature photography
I was recently asked to review the soon to be released Tamron A047 for my Sony A7Riii, being a fan of the Tamron range I jumped at the chance. The A047 is the smallest, most compact and lightweight telephoto zoom lens, currently on the market.
It's only marginally longer than my 28-75mm Tamron A036 workhorse and is actually a fraction lighter, this was a must as far as I was concerned. I aim to keep all my gear as compact and light-weight as possible.
I am NOT generally a telephoto shooter and it did take a bit to adjust. My biggest issue was the minimum distance and shutter speed which should be at least equal to the focal length ie; 300mm 1/300second (or higher). Sony's Eye AF is supported, as well as other Sony features. The 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 claims to be a versatile lens for sport, action, wildlife, pets, landscapes and even portraits.
I must confess using the 300mm for nature photography was a BIG plus for me...I recently went for a walk at the aptly named Frog Hollows, sadly we saw no frogs this day, I could certainly hear them...but lots of birds. That's what I was here for most.
Great for nature photography
Like I said this lens is great for nature photography, the Autofocus is not quite as fast as I would have liked (unless that is a telephoto thing?), but super quiet, a positive when it comes to nature photography. It also works well with the Sony AFC mode too. The zoom turned out to be a brilliant addition for photographing birds, as I couldn't get very close. I must admit I am not much of a bird photographer normally (especially while they're in flight), but standing relatively still it was fabulous to capture up-close details otherwise unavailable in my standard 75mm lens. I wish I could have captured more wildlife, but I'm still stuck with a 25km radius lockdown from home. The images are just wonderful. Strong and detailed.
Portraits & sports
While technically NOT a portrait lens it actually handled some casual shots quite well, how it handles in the studio I am not sure, as sadly I still am not allowed portrait sessions in my State. But I bet on location the bokeh would be fabulous. Sadly I can really only use my dog as a model (who is quite quick), but I must admit I adored the almost lens-baby like swirly bokeh I achieved on some of the shots, while keeping him in perfect focus. When some distance is placed behind the subject the bokeh softens off considerably and becomes as smooth as silk. Likewise, the only sport I am allowed to capture is some local men fishing, a passing jogger and some not so fast horses, but handled it all beautifully. I used the burst mode on some active birds and the AF-C seemed to perform quite well.
OK, so not so really a still life & macro lens
OK, so not really a still life or macro lens...but then it's NOT a macro lens, far from it. I did found for some still life I had to stand too far away, but that's not the real point of this lens is it? However...It was wonderful for capturing flowers and blossoms, too far away for my conventional lens. I didn't do so well with the bees, but possibly that's just me! I found it difficult to focus on them as they kept jumping out of frame at 300mm and the AF wouldn't pick them up. Like I said I'm not used to working with a telephoto lens, but I did love the close-ups it gave me with smaller birds and flowers and such a pretty bokeh. I was really quite impressed with the lens compression and forced focus on macro-style shots.
Handles Landscapes well too
It handles landscapes pretty well too, the 70mm it does a fairly good mid-range shot. Far from a wide-angle it actually picks up from where my other lens finishes off. I get a lovely bokeh and good dynamic range on a basic landscape. This lens has special elements to correct for most chromatic aberration (which can quite strong in some telephoto lenses apparently), but I did find that there was still a little Magenta-Green fringing in high contrast areas, but it was easy to correct in post.
Let's get specific
The Tamron A047 has;
A focal length of 70-300mm
Maximum Aperture of F/4.5 - 6.3, Minimum F/22 - 32
Minimum object distance 0.8m (31.5in) Wide / 1.5m (59.1in) Tele
7 circular aperture blades
Filter size 67mm (max diameter 77mm), actually a lot of Tamron lenses are now 67mm which is a bonus for filters
Length - 148mm (5.8in)
Weight - 545g (19.2 oz) - Mount components of aluminium-magnesium ally3, making it strong but light-weight
Sony E-mount designed to work with full-frame, but will also work with Sony APS-C Format cameras
Works with Sony Auto Focus, Eye AF and DMF
The body is light-weight and compact, boasting it is actually the smallest, most compact 300mm currently in the market. The lens is moisture-resistant and has fluorine coating for protection against weather and oily fingerprints. The manual focus ring is smooth in its transition and zoom ring is ridged for grip (without being too much). It comes with a lens hood and lens cap and will set you back about US$549.00. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the price.
Truly great nature telephoto lens
So if you are looking for a great telephoto lens for nature photography I can recommend the Tamron A047. It has a great range and offers a truly beautiful bokeh. It's a quiet lens that's a good performer without breaking the bank. It's perfect for an early morning (or late afternoon) in the wetlands and nature shots and some basic landscapes too. If you are after a telephoto with a good range, that doesn't break the bank, I think the Tamron 70-300mm is a great lens to have in your kit. I am seriously thinking of adding it to mine too.
