When you think of a super telephoto lens, you think of big, heavy lenses that are cumbersome to carry around. And while there are some lighter weight versions on the market, Tamron seeks to have one of the most compact yet, with the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3.
Offering a unique focal length range that’s great for capturing everything from nature, to street photography, to travel photography and wildlife, the Tamron 50-400mm for Sony E mount is sharp, fast and gets the job done.
Pros
- A lightweight, compact footprint is perfect when you’re on-the-go
- Sharp and wonderful details
- Performs well in inclement weather, with full weather sealing
- Customizable button with three presets, through Tamron’s Lens Utility software
Cons
- Some minor vignetting
- Autofocus can take some adjusting and getting used to
- Tripod collar isn’t included
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 — Technical specifications
All technical specifications for the Tamron 50-400mm have been taken from the B&H website:
- Minimum focus distance: 9.8″ / 24.9 cm
- Maximum magnification: 0.5x
- Minimum aperture: f/22–f/32
- Macro reproduction ratio: 1:2
- Aperture blades: 9, rounded
- Optical construction: 24 elements in 18 groups
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Filter size: 67mm (front)
- Weight: 40.7 oz / 1.2 kg
- Length: 183.4mm / 7.2 in
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 — Ergonomics and build quality
Like most of Tamron’s lenses, the 50-400mm is pretty simple on the exterior. You’ll find a vibration compensation (VC) switch that allows you to choose from two presets, in addition to turning it off. There’s also a custom switch with three options, which lets you customize the side button functionality through Tamron’s Lens Utility software. This can be used to set the button to be a focus limiter at various different distances.
The zoom ring is pretty large and is positioned at the edge of the lens. It rotates nicely and without much force needed.
The lens does feature weather sealing at both the barrel and mount. I used the lens in some stop-and-go rain and experienced no issues with it performing well and locking on to my subjects.
I’ve recently seen a few questions surrounding Tamron’s open USB-C port on the side. Rest assured, that’s weather sealed too.
Oddly enough, the lens doesn’t come with a tripod collar, as it’s an extra purchase that runs $129. I would have liked to see this included, however, this likely would’ve raised the price of the lens. And given its compact footprint and lighter weight, it’s not always necessary.
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 — In the field
The Tamron 50-400mm is a lightweight, easy-to-use lens. No matter what you’re shooting, you should feel comfortable using this lens, as well as customizing it to suit your needs.
In addition to being great at capturing wildlife, the lens also excels as a macro lens, offering a 1:2 macro reproduction. With a minimum focus of 9.8 inches, Tamron is definitely raising some eyebrows with the capabilities of this lens, as it really works out to be a perfect option for the everyday nature shooter or travel photographer. I had several instances where I went from photographing up-close objects to quickly turning around and capturing a bird from afar. And it was absolutely no problem for this lens.
Image stabilization works well, even when capturing fast-moving objects in a hurry. Depending on your subject, I’d aim for a faster shutter speed regardless, especially if you want to freeze motion.
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 — Autofocus performance
The Tamron 50-400mm performed pretty well in my autofocus tests, even while capturing fast birds, horses or butterflies. I did have a few misses initially, which I chalk up to my lack of experience and not having my focus tracking settings correct. Once I dialed these in and expanded my focus area, it was much easier to capture and track my subjects with ease.
For the most part, I used Animal and Bird Tracking with my Sony a1, and I was shocked at what I was able to capture.
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 — Image quality
Image quality from the Tamron 50-400mm is top-notch. The lens features a stellar sharpness and a very nice depth of field with some circular bokeh balls.
Distortion control and vignetting
While lens profiles aren’t currently available for the 50-400mm in Lightroom, there is some minor vignetting present in the corners, from what I can see. This is something I prefer, as it helps to draw your eye to the subject.
Ghosting and flaring
Unless you’re shooting straight into the sun, I wouldn’t be concerned about ghosting or flaring. There’s some minor flaring, and again a bit of ghosting in this situation. But nine times out of 10, this shouldn’t be something you’ll need to be worried about.
Sharpness
The Tamron 50-400mm is tack-sharp, capturing details as well as the priciest super telephoto lenses out there.
Bokeh
While not a bokeh powerhouse, the 50-400mm does produce some nice circular bokeh balls, and offers some wonderful compression for a solid depth of field look, even when shooting at f/6.3.
Color rendition
Like other Tamron lenses, the 50-400mm leans warm and is very pleasing to the eye.
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