CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD Tamron's new 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD looks like a really promising lens, offering a more compact and affordable alternative to the company's existing 70-200mm F2.
8 telezoom. We got our hands on one at the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan - click through for a closer look.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
To start, the 70-210mm F4 VC really is impressively compact, weighing just 859 grams. It balances very well on a Nikon D750, one of the smaller full-frame DSLRs currently on the market, and shouldn't give you a hand cramp if you haven't shelled out for your camera's accessory battery grip.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
As with Tamron's 70-200mm F2. 8, the new F4 version features a two-ring design, with the zoom ring pushed all the way out to the end of the barrel. Whether you prefer this to a zoom ring closer to the camera is a matter of personal preference, of course, but in our brief time with the lens, we found the zoom ring to be just a bit too narrow.
Autofocus speed is perhaps not quite as snappy as Nikon's 70-200mm F4 offering, but should be plenty fast enough for shooting moving subjects.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
The 70-210mm F4 comes with Tamron's Vibration Compensation system, offering a claimed four stops of stabilization (per CIPA). If you're working on a tripod or just happen to have the world's steadiest hands, the stabilization system can be disabled via a switch on the side. An autofocus / manual focus switch rounds out the lens' external controls.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
The Tamron 70-210 F4 has a 67mm front filter thread size, as well as a fluorine coating on the front element to better repel water and resist fingerprints.
Including the coated front element, the 70-210mm's optical construction comprises 20 elements in 14 groups. Three of those elements are low-dispersion, helping to combat axial and transverse chromatic aberration.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
Tamron's 70-210mm F4 is weather-resistant, with a visible gasket on the rear of the lens and a bevy of additional gaskets at other 'critical areas. ' Obviously it's not meant to be submersible, but it should stand up to some light rain in a pinch.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
The included bayonet-style petal hood adds a good bit of length to the 70-210mm F4, but its depth should provide decent flare protection in bright shooting conditions. Tamron is offering a tripod ring as well, but it's an optional extra.
CP+ 2018: Hands-on with the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD
If 210mm isn't quite enough reach for you, the lens is compatible with both Tamron's 1. 4X and 2. 0X teleconverters, as well as the TAP-In console for focus calibration.
The Tamron 70-210mm Di VC USD will be available in Nikon and Canon mounts this April for an MSRP of $800.
. dpreview.com2018-3-1 08:40
