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04-06-2011, 06:57 PM   #1
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Tamron 70-300mm sharp and soft

sharp optics, very soft bokeh!
this is a great consumer grade zoom, nicely matched to the d7000.








04-08-2011, 02:28 PM   #2
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nice

the Nikon equivalent (according to reviews) has been found to be a better performer in all areas though.

The D7000 has the uncanny ability to make any lens look good:-)

Its a fantastic dslr
04-09-2011, 07:35 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by dylansalt Quote
nice

the Nikon equivalent (according to reviews) has been found to be a better performer in all areas though.

The D7000 has the uncanny ability to make any lens look good:-)

Its a fantastic dslr
Not entirely true. Depends on which Tamron 70-300 it is. The Di LD is not better than the Nikon VR in any area, however the Di VC is consistently rated better at 300mm than the Nikon. The Nikon has slightly better sharpness at other focal lengths, however. I owned the Nikon 70-300mm and it was crap at the long end. I sold it pretty quick, although I tend not to use zooms anyway. If you don't need the 300, there are better 200mm zooms out there. If you need the 300mm, I would go with the Tamron VC over the Nikon VR.
04-11-2011, 11:39 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by dylansalt Quote
nice

the Nikon equivalent (according to reviews) has been found to be a better performer in all areas though.

The D7000 has the uncanny ability to make any lens look good:-)

Its a fantastic dslr
Quite a few folks at dpreview love their tammy's

i had the both nikon and tamron but ended up keeping the tamron. IMHO, both are great consumer grade 70-300 zooms, but to me, the tamron won because of:

1. slightly faster at 70 (f4 vs 4.5)
2. VC seems to be much more effective than the VR
3. sharper at longer focal lengths. they seemed equal at 70-220
4. slightly longer warranty 6 vs 5 years

the nikon had its strong points too.
1. VR wasn't as jumpy during startup. tamrons vc is rather jerky when it engages
2. zoom was smoother although after using my tamron for a while, the tightness in the zoom is 'softening'
3. some folks report that the AF tracking is faster.

i didn't test AF tracking between the 2, but for my daughter's sporting activities, the tamron is PLENTY fast.

the combo of the D7k AFC 9 points + tamron 70-300 VC did so MUCH better than my kx + sigma 50-150. maybe not a fair comparison, but that's what i had on the pentax side. not sure how much AF improvements the kr/k5 brings to the table.

04-14-2011, 05:02 AM   #5
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Yes I have also found the Nikon 70-300 a tad soft at the 300mm end but can still deliver a sharper pic at 300mm than my Pentax 55-300.

Where I do find the Pentax much better is in the area of micro-contrast at 300mm.

From 70-200 my Pentax 55-300 has no chance against the Nikon.

I still feel that the 55-300 from Pentax for its cost to value with regards to pic quality is phenomenal.

Its always great to hear real world testimonials for other lens makes - thanks

My main 70-210 lens in the film years was a Tamron and 30 years later is still in perfect nick!
04-14-2011, 02:24 PM   #6
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In defense of the Nikon 70-300 vr at 300mm

Both shot at around 900-1000 iso



04-14-2011, 07:20 PM   #7
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very nice, dylan. both lenses IMHO are a toss-up.

found 2 red-tail hawks nesting by a church here in downtown. heavy crops.





04-15-2011, 07:05 AM   #8
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Good response:-)
04-17-2011, 08:43 PM   #9
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Curious as to why you set those outdoor, daylight shots to ISO 900-1000?
04-18-2011, 08:24 AM   #10
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to get a high enough shutter speed.

VC is a big help, but not the answer to all situations.

at 300mm i try to get the shutter above 1/250 if possible and since the d7k has pretty good/low high-iso noise, cranking it up to iso1000 is no problem.

remember, these subjects are not really standing still and i'm shooting hand-held so a faster shutter will help.
04-18-2011, 08:31 AM   #11
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1/250 would be the target if you didn't have VR, but I thought it was supposed to allow a 3 stop extra speed. I sold my lens so fast, I never even tested the VR!
04-18-2011, 09:51 AM   #12
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don't forget that your subject is also moving.

no amount of VR or VC can help with that. only a high shutter can freeze motion.
04-18-2011, 01:00 PM   #13
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Very true. I guess there's a reason why people pay a mighty sum for the fixed 2.8 lenses for sports and action.
04-20-2011, 01:11 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by K-9 Quote
Curious as to why you set those outdoor, daylight shots to ISO 900-1000?
I was using auto Iso with either 1/250, 1/500sec set as a minimum shutter speed parameter and an F stop of 5.6

Light was iffy and based on my settings the cam chose the necessary iso

Weavers are not still for a second and are constantly fidgeting.

The little girl was shaking her head from side to side.

I was using the 300mm end and getting in tight (the shots are not cropped)
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