The 2-6 is significantly bigger and heavier than the 1-4, which for me at least makes it a less attractive option. The 2-6 is indeed more of a specialist wildlife lens and probably not something you'd drag up a mountain for landscapes. I can't justify a $2K lens for only occasional use with wildlife. Something more like the Canon RF 1-5 or this Tamron would be a better all-purpose option for me with just enough useful extra reach over the 1-4 for those occasions I shoot wildlife.
I loved the 200-600 when I rented it last summer. BUT! I can't imagine hiking any great distance with it. At least at this point in my life. 8 surgeries in 2 years. Including a knee replacement and 2 thumb joint surgeries. I've lost muscle mass.
The 200-600 was just too heavy. Hand holding it and getting a shot was difficult. With still birds I had to use Zone AF. That's the reason I bought the Sony 100-400. And if I buy a high mega pixel camera I can crop if needed. And I couldn't wait for the forever (well, once rumored) rumored Tamron 200-400 f4. It's a good time for us Sony users. We now have lots of options for any kind of lenses.
I looked at the brochure at the SAR site, but needing this crucial info:
What is the maximum fstop at various focal lengths?
One disappointment re my Sony 100-400 is how quickly it slows.
At 116mm the max f stop slows to f5
At only 162mm the max f stop slows to f5.6
If the new Tamron is as sharp at my great 70-180, especially at the long end, quick to focus, and faster than the Sony at equivalent focal lengths, I'm in.
They seem to be threading a needle in terms of intended user. On one end, it has to compete against 100-400 like the sigma at $949 (or the sony gm which takes teleconverters but is more expensive). On the other side, for just a little bit more money, you can get the sony 200-600 which I've seen approaching $1500 new when sales come up. The sony 200-600 gives significantly more reach and can take T.C.
Looks like the big announcement is officially tomorrow along with the Tamron 11-20mm for APSC. SAR says there may be a few more surprises shortly after.
I'd love a 24-70mm 2.8 Tamron on par with Sigma's DG DN but without the dust issue.
I believe Sony opened up the AF interface+ to OEM, but restricted them to only make lenses, and not TC, I have the 1.4TC on my 100-400, but would love a TC with internal glass to use with any lens I choose!
ReleaseDrive wrote:
Features look similar. The 150-600mm SP G2 uses the older USD motor and I'm sure this will use the RXD. IDK if it's faster (Anyone care to comment that has experience).
rxd is the tamron stepper motor system, the tamron 70-180/2.8 uses twin vxd linear voice coil motors... it's another example superior voice coil motors being used on higher-end lenses, lets hope that we see vxd on this new lens.
here is how sony describes its xd linear af voice coil motor: "The XD Linear Motors used in the SEL400F28GM have been newly developed to deliver higher thrust and efficiency than conventional types in order to make the most of the rapidly evolving speed performance of current and future camera bodies. Linear motor design and component layout have been thoroughly revised to achieve significantly higher thrust. Two of these new motors are used in the SEL400F28GM, achieving up to a 5x improvement in moving-subject tracking performance. This means that the full speed performance of advanced camera bodies can be applied to capturing perfect images of the most dynamic sports or wildlife subjects. The XD motors are further supported by new algorithms developed specifically for them, notably improving the motors’ response to control signals and minimizing lag and instability that can occur when driving a large aperture focus lens group for quiet, low-vibration operation."
Sony 2-6 isn’t much heavier, goes to 600, no pumping, faster, native, better built?
Only draw would be the price but here also, Sony 2-6 is quite affordable as tale’s go.
Tamron trumps 2-6 in close focussing.
I would never buy a Tamron again, but at 93mm (~3.7") x190mm (~8 1/4") long it will be appealing to those that want a more portable lens than the Sony 200-600 at 4.39 x 12.52" / 111.5 x 318 mm. 150 vs. 200mm allows a smaller gap to a shorter zoom.
1bwana1 wrote:
Sigma has said they are not licensed to make TCS for Sony E mount. I Wonder if that is also true of Tamron. If so, it greatly reduces the value of this lens in a system.
I wonder about this also. Since Sony apparently has a financial stake in Tamron (where did I read that?), then maybe they would be more flexible with Tamron about TC's.
SoundHound wrote:
Be sure to download your favorite weather APP for your smart phone. You will want plenty of sunshine before you leave the house at F6.7.
For those of us not shooting cheetah's running or birds in flight it's not really a big deal.
I guess those 60 MPH cheetahs and tiny birds flying through the overcast are why I bought a 400GM and both TCs. Or maybe dim sports arenas, dawn/dusk shooting and even handheld dance action under dim stage lighting too.
SoundHound wrote:
I guess those 60 MPH cheetahs and tiny birds flying through the overcast are why I bought a 400GM and both TCs. Or maybe dim sports arenas, dawn/dusk shooting and even handheld dance action under dim stage lighting too.
Guess so For me I would never buy a lens that large no matter how exceptional or fast. Has nothing to do with the money. The 100-400 is basically my limit size wise. I just know it would get very limited use as I would not want to drag it around. But I have enjoyed seeing what others do with them here, exceptional lenses. As posted here before these "slower" zooms can still hold their own. In the case below I would never had been allowed to bring the 400GM into the stadium so the 100-400 performed very well considering it was a night game, foggy, misty/rain and I was sitting in seats not even close to the field. https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1629072/0#15099031
Honestly haven't had a chance to use it for landscapes yet, testing it indoors is a pretty wasteful approach to its potential. Just got the tripod foot... and a new head to finally join the arca plate crew. Ready to compress some hills!
I really want to like this lens. It has a lot of potential, especially with the prices of new Sony and Canon lenses. But without a TC it’s kinda useless for me.
Michael Everet wrote:
I recognize all the lenses except the one on the far right, which I can't quite read. Is it the FE70-300?
It's the 70-350 APSC lens. I use that on longer hikes mostly because of the size. 26mp with 105-525mm on A7riv. I can have that on a capture clip on my backpack strap. Can't do that with the 100-400GM. Well, you could but it's not very comfortable
It's actually a very sharp lens. Nice part is the 67mm filter thread matches everything else I got.
