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Discussions of lenses are complicated because lenses are more than photography tools. They are also a) collectables, b) fetish items, and c) possibly status statements (like watches). As an unrelated example, I suspect that the 600 GM can be both a useful tool and a strong status statement.
Tamron 35-150 is much more a working tool, a trusted workhorse, than anything else. The lens has few weaknesses and performs well from 35 to 150 mm; it also can be used wide-open, when necessary, without sacrificing image quality. Yes, the Tamron might be lacking the glamour of other lenses, e.g. the Sony 70-200 GM II, yet in practice, in general use, it is a more useful lens. I do use the Tamron much more often than my Sony 70-200 GM II even if I very much like the latter at 200 mm (I would certainly use the 70-200 GM II instead of the Tamron, if most shooting had to happen in the 150 – 200 mm range).
It is true that zooms tend to be used more at their extremes. I don’t have the statistics, but it would not surprise me if most (60-70%) of my pictures have been taken at 35 or 150 mm. I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with this. At 35 mm, I would often zoom with my feet instead of slightly changing the focal length. When zooming in, it often makes sense to go to 150 mm for best magnification and/or subject isolation.
To oversimplify things, let’s consider the Tamron as a switchable two-in-one 35 f2.0/150 f2.8 lens. From this simplistic point of view, the possible alternatives zooms are 24/70 f2.8, 24/105 f4, and 70/200 f2.8. Which one to pick for general shooting? By “general” I mean all the things we take pictures of when travelling with a partner, family, or friends: a mix of landscapes, environmental portraits, portraits, nature and wildlife, food, art, street life etc. (some in low light!). My pick would be this “switchable two-in-one 35 f2.0/150 f2.8 lens.” It cannot do 100% of the items on the list but I believe it gets close to 85-90%. I understand that the size and the weight of the Tamron 35-150 can be a serious deterrent to many; there are also places on Earth where one may want to be very discreet. At the end, Tamron 35-150 is one of those practical choices that may or may or may not be right, depending on the circumstances.
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