I recently picked up the Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR DI VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro for $599 at my local Ritz Camera. On the Canon 5D, this lens covers the range from wide angle to supertelephoto. VC stands for vibration compensation, which is Tamron's name for image stabilization. This is Tamron's first VC lens, so I was anxious to give it a try. I have been impressed by the high performance and compact size of Tamron's 17-35, 17-50, and 28-75mm lenses, but I went into this purchase with realistic expectations. No 11x zoom is going to have top tier image quality, and Tamron made this lens amazingly compact despite the vast coverage.

Vitals:
Lens Construction (Groups/Elements) 13/18
Angle of View 75°23'-8°15' (APS-C size equivalent)
Type of Zooming Rotation
Diaphragm Blade Number 9
Minimum Aperture F/22 ~ F/40 (28mm-300mm)
Minimum Focus Distance 19.3in.(0.49m) (entire zoom range)
Macro Magnification Ratio 1:3 (at f=300mm, MFD=0.49m)
Filter Diameter ø67
Weight 555g (19.4oz)*
Diameter x Length ø3.06 x 3.9in.
(ø78 x 99mm)
Accessory Flower-shaped Lens hood
Mount Canon, Nikon (with Built-In Motor for use with all Nikon DSLR cameras)
*values given for Nikon AF cameras

Preliminary thought after a few days of use:

- Performance on a 5D is roughly similar to what is graphically represented in the SLR Gear test for the non-VC version. I highly recommend you check out the lens tests over there. They are doing great work!

- VC is extremely effective. At least three stops of compensation in my experience. Surpasses expectations.

- Bokeh is actually very good. This lens does a pretty nice job rendering the OOF areas.

- I torture tested this slow zoom by using it for indoor, non-flash, family snapshots with the 5D at ISO 3200. AF hunts at full tele in low light, and the noise is typical Tamron, but this is all to be expected. Overall AF speed is slow but reliable. AF noise is typical Tamron.

- Build quality is okay. Solid, plastic, and a step below Tamron SP in my opinion. Not a major problem, but slightly better build would be nice in a $600 lens. Manual focus ring isn't the nicest, but it works. No wobbling or creaking. There is a zoom lock to prevent inadvertant barrel extension.

- Minimum focus distance of 0.49m is impressive. This really is a versatile lens.

I went out in my parents' backyard this Thanksgiving morning and took some test shots at 28mm, 50mm, 100mm, 200mm, and 300mm. You can see them full-res here, with EXIFs intact.

Here are a few Thanksgiving holiday family photos taken with this lens, again on the 5D. Click on each image for intended viewing size.

216mm f/5.6:



28mm f/8:



300mm f/8:



184mm f/7.1:



Full-res versions of the above photos and more are here.

For kicks, here's a 50% crop of a hawk that flew overhead during my lens tests (Click on image):



In summary, this lens does everything okay, but nothing at a very high level. Quoted from the SLR Gear review of the non-VC version of this lens: "If you only shoot snapshots with your own 5D or 1Ds Mark II, you might be happy with the Tamron 28-300mm on it (which does in that case provide truly wide-angle shots at its short end). But if you're just shooting snapshots, do you really need a full-frame DSLR?"

I'm still wondering if my money wouldn't be better spent towards a less versatile but higher performing optic.

Addendum - I've decided to keeep mine for its sheer versatility. Blurry edges and all, I'm getting some good results out of this lens. In particular, I find it to be a good lens for family photos when I am too lazy to "zoom with my feet," and I would not hesitate to use this as a travel lens with the 5D.

Addendum #2 - I've gotten more than a couple emails asking "Should I buy this lens or..." Here are my thoughts on this: If you use a 1.6x Canon (D. Rebel, XT, XTi, D30/D60/10D/20D/30D) and want the best quality relatively compact telephoto that goes to 300mm for this budget, then go for the somewhat larger and heavier Canon EF 70-300mm IS zoom instead. Note that this lens is not the same as the older Canon 75-300mm IS, which is not as good, or the 70-300mm DO IS, which is much more expensive. If you don't need to go all the way to 300mm, then all the Canon 70-200mm lenses are excellent on all bodies. The advantage of the Tamron 28-300 VC is that it is a compact, all-in-one solution. On a 5D, it covers from wide angle to far telephoto, and on a 1.6x body it covers from "normal" to supertelephoto. On both, it does a respectable job of "near macro." It simply won't match a bulkier two lens combination in image quality.

If you do decide to buy the Tamron and this user review has helped you, you can help me by purchasing your lens from Amazon after going there via the link below. Also feel free to use the other link below to buy the Canon 70-300 ;-).



Visiting the Amazon page using those links doesn't change your price but makes it so that Amazon shares a bit of the profits with me. I can honestly recommend Amazon for lenses and other photography gear. In addition to competitive prices, they have great customer service and one of the best return policies around (though if the item is being sold on Amazon by a third paty seller, then the return policy of that seller would apply).