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Archive 2013 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?

  
 
jaehoppa
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


my cousin is looking for a cheap but decent tele zoom for her trip to Africa next week.
I've narrowed it down to these two and was wondering which one is better in terms of AF speed/accuracy and resolution.
The used prices seem about the same.

what are your suggestions?
It will be used on a Canon 6D.

Thanks.

Edited on Sep 09, 2013 at 12:45 PM · View previous versions



Sep 09, 2013 at 12:13 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Jae, buy the Canon.


Sep 09, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Roland W
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


My only experience is with the Canon 70-300 L IS, and it is a very good performer. The IS is of the latest type, so it works very well. Image quality is very good, even at the long end. Auto focus speed and accuracy is what I would call normal, and compares well to other Canon lenses in this general range. The aperature of 5.6 at the 300 end is slightly limiting when light gets a little low, but the 6D has good performance at high ISO, so your cousin should be all right.

I would suggest that you get something soon, and have her try it out a fair amount before the trip. Much better to learn here and have resources to ask questions than to be learning in Africa.



Sep 09, 2013 at 12:34 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Paul Mo wrote:
Jae, buy the Canon.



-1

Sorry but the Tamron is better than the canon . As long as we are talking about the 70-300 IS and not the L .

I had the canon and while its a good lens the AF is ok at best and the IS is only decent .
You have to remember its not proper ring USM but some micro drive AF that's a bit quieter .

I tried the Tamron in a store and its a much better lens . The AF while not as fast as proper ring USM is quick and the IS at least a stop better than the canon . I was getting sharp shots at 300mm of stuff less than 20ft away at shutter speeds down to 1/20th (and I was shooting crop ) .


If I was looking at a 70-300 class lens my choices in order would be
70-300L
Tamron
Canon IS
Canon DO

I've put the DO below the standard because its so bloody expensive for the quality it gives which is only about the same as the standard .



Sep 09, 2013 at 12:40 PM
jaehoppa
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Ian.Dobinson wrote:
-1

Sorry but the Tamron is better than the canon . As long as we are talking about the 70-300 IS and not the L .

I had the canon and while its a good lens the AF is ok at best and the IS is only decent .
You have to remember its not proper ring USM but some micro drive AF that's a bit quieter .

I tried the Tamron in a store and its a much better lens . The AF while not as fast as proper ring USM is quick and the IS at least a stop
...Show more

Thanks for your input.
the L version would be my choice too if the cost wasn't an issue.
I've also read that the VC in tamron is quite better than the IS in the 70-300.



Sep 09, 2013 at 12:43 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Yeah I think the only reason I'd choose the canon would be if I did lots of panning stuff and wanted single axis IS . The canon as a mode 1-2 switch for this while imdontnthink the Tamron does . And I'm pretty sure the Tamron is not auto sensing for panning .
Other than that the Tamron .




Sep 09, 2013 at 12:48 PM
AaronNegro
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


I have the Tamron after trying both.

Enough said.



Sep 09, 2013 at 02:27 PM
kewlcanon
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


70-300 VC


Sep 09, 2013 at 02:28 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


AaronNegro wrote:
I have the Tamron after trying both.

Enough said.




I always felt that we (canon users) were short changed a bit when the 70-300 IS came out . As decent as the IQ was (it was called the hidden L) it was probably because the expensive DO was in canons lineup (with its proper USM) that canon put an average performing micro motor in it . While in Nikon land they had a great performing lens with a great AF motor in it for about the same price as the canon .

Of course canon have given us the full works now but the L is not a cheap lens .
Which means we're unlikely to see an update with full USM , maybe the best we can hope for is an STM version.



Sep 09, 2013 at 02:36 PM
skibum5
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


jaehoppa wrote:
my cousin is looking for a cheap but decent tele zoom for her trip to Africa next week.
I've narrowed it down to these two and was wondering which one is better in terms of AF speed/accuracy and resolution.
The used prices seem about the same.

what are your suggestions?
It will be used on a Canon 6D.

Thanks.


tamron is the better of those two for focus precision and probably speed
more contrast at 300mm although I don't think it is any sharper


300mm and 6D is very little reach for many places in Africa (what country and where?)

if it is one of those many thousands upon thousands of dollar trips to Africa it might not be wise to suddenly go all penny pinching for the camera gear

lots of african wildlife just stands or sits and lays or walks slowly 99% of the time (you can even manually liveview 10x AF a lot ) so only very rarely does AF speed matter much, AF precision always helps a lot though


maybe buy a 100-400 and then sell when come back? if you get a good used copy you might barely even lose any money at all if even


Edited on Sep 09, 2013 at 04:05 PM · View previous versions



Sep 09, 2013 at 04:02 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Ian.Dobinson wrote:
-1

Sorry but the Tamron is better than the canon . As long as we are talking about the 70-300 IS and not the L .


You're right - the OP changed the thread to state non-L.



Sep 10, 2013 at 07:54 AM
gwaww
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


I've had extensive experience with both and have had 2 copies of the Tamron. Both copies of the Tamron (I am a tamron fan) were a little soft at 300mm which is where I used it the most. The 70-300 focal lens is a great lens for a trip to the zoo. I have many excellent zoo shots from the Canon from years past. That being said, I recently picked up a used Canon 100-400 and find it much better and more versatile. I wish I had skipped all the 70-300's an bought a 100-400 a long time ago. I found a perfect used copy for 700.00!


Sep 10, 2013 at 08:28 AM
jasonpatrick
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?


Owned both. The Tamron was better in every way except panning (as stated above). I even got another copy of the Canon because I didn't believe it. Same story. The Tamron is an excellent value lens.


Sep 10, 2013 at 09:14 AM
GC5
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Tamron 70-300 VC or Canon 70-300 IS (non-L)?



I preferred the Canon, but I definitely appear to be in the minority. Maybe my Tamron wasn't a great copy. VC worked great, but it was never as sharp as I liked.

I no longer own either. I use the much cheaper and lighter 55-250 when I want reach and am travelling light.

For a safari, I will throw out there renting a 100-400 or something of that sort. Even 300 or 400 might end up somewhat limiting.



Sep 10, 2013 at 09:20 AM





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