Camera Connection

Tamron 70-300 VC Review – The Long-Awaited Update is Now Here

Here I will be writing a Tamron 70-300mm VC review after playing around a bit with this lens. This lens is an update of the old Tamron 70-300mm lens.

The old Tamron 70-300mm lens is a budget telephoto lens that is aimed towards beginner photographers. However, this new Tamron 70-300mm VC lens is aimed at an entirely different market: photographers who wants compact, but professional telephoto lens.

The lens update offers many excellent features. It’s now has faster and more accurate autofocus features (this is the first lens that features the USD – Ultrasonic Silent Drive). In addition to all those excellent features, it now has amazing optical and solid build quality.

The new USD technology which stands for Ultrasonic Silent Drive, removed the noisy autofocus sound made by the previous version. Autofocus is not much more faster compared to the older version of this lens.

If you are into street photography, then you will love the USD mechanism. Autofocus is now very silent and shooting discretely is now not a problem with this lens.

In terms of optical quality this lens performs wonderfully. The border and center sharpness are excellent and the contrast is very good. Distortion and purple fringing in this lens are both negligible.

In my old Tamron 70-300 review, I wrote about the difficulty of installing a polarizing filter on the lens. The good news on this new lens is that there is no rotation in front element during autofocus. You can use a polarizing filter without any problem.

The lens also feels more solid and durable compared to the old version. The zoom and focusing ring are both smooth and responsive. There are no wobbling parts on this solidly made lens and this lens was a joy to use during testing.

In terms of compatibility, this lens can be used a full frame camera or an APS-C camera with no problem. For professional photography use, the small aperture might be a little bit limiting.

However, this is not the primary purpose of this lens. This lens is for someone who does not want to carry around a heavy telephoto lens and still wants the best quality out of a compact telephoto lens.

After writing this Tamron 70-300mm VC review and using it, I find myself using this lens for non-serious sports photography shooting and bird photography. The reach, sharpness, clarity and autofocus is good enough for those purpose.

You can also use this lens for portrait photography, but you need to shoot at the 300mm range to produce a pleasing out of focus background in your picture.

About the Author

Do you think this is the perfect lens for you?

 

I know it can be hard choosing the perfect lens for your camera. You can spend hours researching and still end up buying the wrong lens. Even worse, you could waste a lot of money and time in the end.

 

If you think this is not the lens for you, then see my Tamron 70-200 review for an alternative.

 

This will give you a fresh alternative from this Tamron 70-300 VC review.

Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD XLD Lens

Tamron 70-300mm Lens Model 172D for Canon AF Mount $26.99

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D200 D700 D90 $154.95

Nikon N4004 with Tamron AF LD 70-300mm 4-5.6 zoom lens $40.00

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D3000 D700 D3 $149.95

UV PROTECTION FILTER FOR TAMRON 28-300mm XR Di LENS $11.50

62mm 3PC Filter Kit for TAMRON AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Lens $29.99

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower for Nikon DSLR D3000, D3100, D7000, D300s, D300, D90, D60, D5000, D40, D3x, D3 & D3s $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower for Pentax K20D, K200D, K2000, K10D, K100D, K110D, K-7, K-X DSLR $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower Sony Alpha SLT A33, A55, A290, A330, A380, A390, A500, A550, A580, A700, A850 & A900 Digital DSLR $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras $199.00 Bring your photographic subjects closer with this Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer Telephoto Zoom Lens. It is designed with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer technology and is compact and light. This high zoom ratio lens is equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm in the 35mm format (when used on Canon EOS cameras compatible with EF-S lenses). The image stabilizer effect is equivalen…

Professional 58mm Digital Tulip Flower Lens Hood For canon 18-55mm , 28-80mm , 28-90mm , 28-105mm , 55-250mm , 70-300mm , 75-300mm , 100-300mm , 50mm 1.4 , 85mm 1.8 with Lens cap Holder and Lens cleaning Kit $6.59 Rotates so that you get the exact amount of shading that you require from the sun - Locking clamp thread design so you can mount on an adapter or ring and still rotate the lens hood - Lightweight and portable - Protects your lens and camera from accidental damage - Easy to use: just screw it on the way a filter would. Rotate to the right to tighten, rotate to the left to detach - 3 Year Limited Wa…

58mm Flower Hood Petal+Rear Lens Cap for Canon 75-300mm $4.99 Brand New, Never Used, High quality generic.Crown Shape Lens Hood, with screw mount can be attached to the 52mm lens or filter thread.This can lower the contrast of the image.Enables you to shoot towards the light source, and being reflected inside the lens, without excessive flare.Stops light coming into the lens at extreme angles and being reflected inside the lens.Compatible With:lens with 52mm filter size from Nikon Canon Sigma Tamron Sony Minolta Olympus and etc.For example Kit lens for Nikon D40/D40X/D50/D60/ Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm VR Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Nikon 50mm f1.4D Canon 50mm f/1.8D.

58mm Flower Hood Petal+Rear Lens Cap for Canon 75-300mm $5.79 Brand New, Never Used, High quality generic.Crown Shape Lens Hood, with screw mount can be attached to the 52mm lens or filter thread.This can lower the contrast of the image.Enables you to shoot towards the light source, and being reflected inside the lens, without excessive flare.Stops light coming into the lens at extreme angles and being reflected inside the lens.Compatible With:lens with 52mm filter size from Nikon Canon Sigma Tamron Sony Minolta Olympus and etc.For example Kit lens for Nikon D40/D40X/D50/D60/ Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm VR Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Nikon 50mm f1.4D Canon 50mm f/1.8D.

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera W/ Tamron 28-80mm Lens & 75-300mm Lens W/ Essentials Acc $1499.89 With features like manual exposure control, the option to attach on any of the Canon EF or EF-S lenses, and various audio adjustments – including an external stereo mic connection, and both manual and auto gain control – the 60D puts DSLR film-making at your fingertips. Other noteworthy features of the video function include in-camera editing, a number of recording resolutions to choose from, and an HDMI output for one-cable connection to your HDTV. Factory Supplied Accessories EOS 60D Body Tamron 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical Lens & 75-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Lens Eyecup Eb Wide Strap USB Interface Cable AVC-DC400ST Stereo AV Cable LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1800mAh) LC-E6 Battery Charger EOS Digital Solution Disk and Instruction Manuals Great Photography is Easy Booklet Do More with Macro Booklet 1-Year Limited Warranty Sunset Electronics Package Includes 8GB Hi Speed Error Free Memory Card Hi Speed Card Reader 2 Extended Life Replacement Canon LP-E6 Replacement Batteries 2 Professional UV Filters Flower lens Hood Deluxe carrying Case 5 Piece Lens Cleaning kit LCD Screen Protectors SLR Pro Hand grip 6 Foot HDMi Cable Set Exclusive Sunset Electronics Cleaning Cloth

Tamron 70-300mm Lens Model 172D for Canon AF Mount $26.99

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D200 D700 D90 $154.95

Nikon N4004 with Tamron AF LD 70-300mm 4-5.6 zoom lens $40.00

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D3000 D700 D3 $149.95

UV PROTECTION FILTER FOR TAMRON 28-300mm XR Di LENS $11.50

62mm 3PC Filter Kit for TAMRON AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Lens $29.99

62mm Filter Kit for Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens $29.99

TAMRON SP 60-300MM F 3.8-5.4 ADAPTALL ZOOM LENS NR $29.99

Tamron 28-300mm LD XR DI Lens for Canon. Mint! $177.50

Tamron LD A17 70 mm – 300 mm 4-5.6 AF Di Lens For … $135.00

Tamron 2B4FH Shade for 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di LD Lens $7.99

Tamron A17 70 mm – 300 mm F/4.0-5.6 Lens $100.00

Tamron Twin Kit AF 28-80mm Lens + AF 70-300mm for Sony $359.00

Tamron Af 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 Tele Macro (1:2) Nikon Lens $159.99

Tamron SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD Nikon Lens $449.00

TAMRON AF 28-300MM MACRO ZOOM LENS FOR NIKON $389.95

NEW TAMRON 70-300mm Di LD LENS f/NIKON + UV + Warranty $214.99

NEW TAMRON 70-300mm Di LD LENS f/NIKON + UV $194.99

NEW TAMRON 70-300mm Di LD LENS f/ Canon + UV + Warranty $214.99

NEW TAMRON 70-300mm Di LD LENS f/NIKON + Warranty $189.99

Tamron SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD Canon Lens $449.00

Tamron AF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 Tele-Macro 1:2 Lens – Canon $45.15

TELE-MACRO 90-300mm TAMRON AF LENS 4.5-5.6 $9.99

TAMRON AF 100-300MM f/5-6.3 MACRO LENS FOR MINOLTA $99.99

Tamron / Nikon AF-D , 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Zoom XR Lens $112.50

Tamron AF 28-300MM Lens $60.00

Tamron LD A17 70 mm – 300 mm 4-5.6 AF Di Lens For … $26.00

TAMRON 28-300mm XR Di VC Lens for NIKON D700 D3 D3x D3s $619.95

Tamron A06 28 mm – 300 mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens For Canon $53.09

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D60 D40 D3000 $149.95

TAMRON AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di Lens for Pentax $76.00

Tamron 672D 75 mm – 300 mm F/4.0-5.6 Lens $87.95

CANON EOS EF Mount 100-300mm Tamron AF Lens FREE S/H! $52.50

Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD 1:2 Micro Lens – NIKON $201.03

Tamron 75 mm – 300 mm 4.0-5.6 Lens Minolta/Sony Mount $69.00

Tamron 70-300mm Canon EOS Lens +Teleconverter 140-600mm $219.95

Tamron A061 28 – 300 mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens For Nikon $104.06

TEST CHART FOR TAMRON SP AF 300mm f/2.8 LD IF LENS $9.95

Tamron 75-300mm telephoto lens $60.00

TAMRON AF 100-300mm f/5-6.3 MACRO LENS /For MINOLTA $49.99

Tamron Tele-Macro AF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 LD Lens for Canon $75.00

Tamron 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC Lens for Nikon D7000 D90 $496.95

Tamron A06 28 mm – 300 mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens For Nikon $50.00

Tamron AF 75-300mm /4-5.6 Telephoto Lens Nikon+ KIT NEW $197.97

TAMRON Two Lens KIT 28-80mm & 75-300mm Canon 550D T2I $294.99

TAMRON D2FH Lens Hood for 100-300mm f/5.0-6.3 AF Lens $4.99

62mm Flower Lens Hood for TAMRON AF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 LD $12.45

Tamron A20 28 mm – 300 mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens (28-300mm ) $23.61

TAMRON SP AF 300mm f/2.8 LD (IF) LENS + TELECONVERTER + $1,999.99

Tamron Di 70-300mm Lens for Nikon Digital D5000 D700 D3 $159.95

Close-up Kit + 2 Lens for Tamron 28-80, Tamron 75-300mm $37.99

Tamron AF 70-300mm 1:4-5.8 Camera Lens Nikon AF $49.99

Macro Set + 2 Lens for Tamron 28-80, Tamron 75-300mm $37.99

TAMRON Two Lens KIT 28-80mm & 75-300mm Canon 450D 400D $295.00

Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 AF Di XR LD Lens Model A061N $285.00

Tamron AF 75-300 mm zoom lens $24.99

Vint. TAMRON 1:5.6 300mm LENS w/ NIKON/ NIKKOREX Mount $64.99

Tamron 372D 70-300mm LD MinoltaAF Mount Tele-Macro Lens $19.99

Tamron AF 70-300mm LD Tele-Macro Zoom Lens for Canon $2.25

NEW TAMRON SP 70-300mm F4.5 F/4.5 Di VC USD Lens Nikon $610.57

Tamron Di 70-300mm Lens for Nikon Digital D3100 D60 D40 $159.95

TAMRON AF 75- 300mm telescoping lens for nikon $0.99

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Canon Digital Rebel T1i T2i $149.95

Tamron AF LD 70-300 mm 1:4-5.6 Lens For Canon 372D $49.00

Tamron AF75-300mm f/4-5.6 ld macro lens $100.00

Tamron 75 mm – 300 mm F/4.0-5.6 Lens $75.00

Tamron AF 70-300mm LD lens auto focus for Nikon f4-5.6 $40.95

TAMRON 4F 35mm CAMERA LENS CLEAN WITH FILTER 80-300mm $9.99

Tamron A17 70 mm – 300 mm F/4.0-5.6 Lens $90.00

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D3000 D300s $174.95

TAMRON AF 75-300MM 1:4-5.6 LD MACRO LENS FOR CANON $89.99

TAMRON 75-300mm + 2X LENS KIT Canon XSi T1i XS XTi 40D $199.11

TAMRON 75-300mm + 2X LENS KIT Canon 10D 20D 30D 50D XSi $197.17

TAMRON 75-300mm + 2X LENS KIT NIKON D80 D200 D300 D90 $191.11

Nikon Tamron 300mm f5.6 Lens Non Ai telephoto manual $159.99

TAMRON AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens for SONY $191.94

TAMRON 75-300mm + 2X LENS KIT Canon XSi T1i XS XTi 40D $239.11

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Autofocus Lens for Nikon $104.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Zoom Lens for Canon Digital Camera $149.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D3100 D300s $154.95

Tamron 70-300mm Lens Di for Canon Digital Rebel XT XTi $154.95

Tamron Di 70-300mm Lens for Nikon Digital D300 D200 D90 $159.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D90 D3100 D3x $149.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D60 D5000 NEW $174.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Canon Digital Rebel XT XTi $149.95

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D700 D80 NEW $179.95

CIRCULAR POLARIZER FILTER FOR TAMRON 28-300mm XR LENS $21.50

CIRCULAR POLARIZER FILTER FOR TAMRON 70-300mm LENS $21.50

Tamron AF 70-300mm Tele-Macro Lens f/4-5.6 LD DI Canon $29.99

Tamron Lens (100-300mm ) $50.00

Tamron SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD Canon Lens $449.00

Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens for Nikon Digital D40 D60 D3000 $154.95

Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC AF Lens for Canon $629.00

TAMRON 70-300mm VC USD Lens NIKON D3100 D5000 D3000 D90 $439.99

Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC AF lens for Nikon $629.00

Tamron AF75-300mm f/4-5.6 ld macro lens $100.00

Tamron 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD lens for Nikon $330.00

Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD AF Tele-Macro Lens for Pentax $179.95

NEW TAMRON 28-300mm f3.5-6.3 XR VC Di LENS F/ NIKON $549.99

TAMRON 75-300mm AF LD Lens for CANON T1i XTi XSi 75-300 $159.95

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower for Nikon DSLR D3000, D3100, D7000, D300s, D300, D90, D60, D5000, D40, D3x, D3 & D3s $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower for Pentax K20D, K200D, K2000, K10D, K100D, K110D, K-7, K-X DSLR $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Precision Design 7 Piece Optical Lens and Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit with Brush, Microfiber Cloth, Fluid & Tissue + Hurricane Blower Sony Alpha SLT A33, A55, A290, A330, A380, A390, A500, A550, A580, A700, A850 & A900 Digital DSLR $8.95 It’s obvious that the cleaner the lens, the sharper your pictures will be. Dirt, dust, and fingerprints will degrade the image quality of even the finest optics. However, it’s important to avoid using incorrect cleaning materials which can permanently damage your photo equipment. Used properly, the cleaning supplies in this kit are certified safe for use on your valuable digital and film photo-equ…

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras $199.00 Bring your photographic subjects closer with this Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer Telephoto Zoom Lens. It is designed with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer technology and is compact and light. This high zoom ratio lens is equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm in the 35mm format (when used on Canon EOS cameras compatible with EF-S lenses). The image stabilizer effect is equivalen…

Professional 58mm Digital Tulip Flower Lens Hood For canon 18-55mm , 28-80mm , 28-90mm , 28-105mm , 55-250mm , 70-300mm , 75-300mm , 100-300mm , 50mm 1.4 , 85mm 1.8 with Lens cap Holder and Lens cleaning Kit $6.59 Rotates so that you get the exact amount of shading that you require from the sun - Locking clamp thread design so you can mount on an adapter or ring and still rotate the lens hood - Lightweight and portable - Protects your lens and camera from accidental damage - Easy to use: just screw it on the way a filter would. Rotate to the right to tighten, rotate to the left to detach - 3 Year Limited Wa…

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras $148.54 Capture the far-off action of fast-paced sports or zoom in for an intimate portrait with the Canon EF 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens. The optical system, construction, and exterior are the same as the EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 III USM’s. The difference is that it uses a DC motor instead of a USM to drive the AF. As with all Canon lens, this 75-300 model carries a one-year warranty. Focal length: 7…