[Peter Zack]

Looks great and hnks for the effort to post so many good samples. That last shot of the squirrel is awesome. Beautiful how the subject is isolated from the background. I'd say this lens is easily equal to my Sigma version and the only real decision would be Screw drive vs HSM.

[Dtkeith]

Please excuse my lack of knowledge, but is this lens SDM or HSM or whatever Tamron calls it, or screw drive (specifically with a Pentax K100D Super

[kenyee]

screw drive

[Dtkeith]

screw drive

darn. Still, I must start saving for this lens, along with SOO many other things!!!

[Mechan1k]

I really have been wanting to get this lens ... and as usualy Jay ... your images are stunning ... and show what a capable lens this is ... the quality of these images matches my Tamron 90mm ... and I really love that lens.

Now I just have to wait for it to the come to Australia ... i still haven't seen it in shops yet. But after seeing these ... I really need to put some $$$$$ aside get it.

Thank you for that ... I really can't afford it ... but it is about the only AF lens I have been really really wanting.

[axl]

looks like one great lens...

[jgredline]

Wow, this lens is impressive. Usually when I see squirrelshots, they are like...''another squirrel shot'', but yours is a wow, what a squirrel shot....
But I have yet to find it in stock anyplace.

[jsherman999]

.


Thanks - here are a few more from a quick trip to Ely, MN - had almost no time
for shooting on this trip as I had people with me an no-one had any patience,
but was able to take a couple shots:

70mm f/5.6:

70mm f/6.7:

200mm f/3.5:

70mm f/8.0:

[jsherman999]

.

Here are some zoo shots from today - I've shot M's, Taks, and my 50-135 at the zoo
this summer - it's a good proving ground and IQ comparison location, but I end up
getting shots of the same animals over & over again, just with different lenses!


115mm f/5.6

200mm f/5.6

200mm f/4.5

200mm f/4.5

200mm f/4.5

200mm f/5.6

200mm f/4.5

200mm f/5.6 crop:

70mm f/5.6:

[heliphoto]

Wow...

After viewing this thread that lens just went to the top of my wish list (I'll have to consider the Sigma as well).

[roentarre]

This is an amazing zoom in deed.

p.s. Dan, you see this?

[ftpaddict]

This is an amazing zoom in deed.

p.s. Dan, you see this?

James, these are absolutely killing me!

I want this lens more than I want children! (pray my girlfriend doesn't read this)

[ftpaddict]

PS: This is one dangerously cute shot!

[jsherman999]

.


My initial impressions -

- An excellent zoom

- Just a tad less sharp than the 50-135, but sharper than any other long zoom
I've used

- Heavy, but not overbearing

- Very long, especially with the lens hood attached. Not a stealth lens.
On the plus-side to that - people take you seriously

- Having f/2.8 available at 200mm is not something I'm used to - it allows some
DOF magic at 200mm that's a lot of fun to play with.

- Great at 200mm, but at 70-100mm it's exceptional, and a terrific portrait lens
because of that (a surprise). It's actually too sharp for traditional portraiture at
100mm f/5.6 - need to go down to f/2.8 or 3.5 unless you like to see pores (I like
to see pores myself.)

Overall, superb. I'd still rate the 50-135 higher, but the Tammy is right up
there with it.


.

[heatherslightbox]

Looks like a sweet lens indeed. Now I can just keep telling myself, "I don't need a 70-200 lens. I don't need a 70-200 lens." I'll keep telling myself that over and over. You sure make it look like an excellent lens though.
Oh yeah, btw, where did you get this lens already?

...especially since I have a perfectly good 55-300. With that, the question would be why I should get one then? I'm also curious to see how well it will work with a TC.

Heather