By Alex Cearns
Monday 23rd September
I host regular short nature and wildlife-based photo workshops comprising of 4 days / 3 nights within a few hours drive of Perth, Western Australia. At my recent Lower Chittering photo break, I decided to road test the Tamron 50-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD e-mount lens for Sony cameras.
The retreat was held at a stunning country property which we explored on foot and via vehicle, at our leisure. The property has something for everyone – rolling green hills, the meandering Avon River, morning fog, a large dam, winter waterfalls, stunning trees, and an abundance of birds, kangaroos and emus. It was the perfect place to put this lens through its paces and check out its versatile range of features.
The first thing I noticed was the versatile focal length of 50mm to 300mm (which is a 6x zoom length), enabling me to capture a variety of photography styles, from portraits to distant wildlife shots. One of the features I was most keen to explore was its macro capability. It offers impressive close-focusing capabilities, allowing me to capture detailed macro images from close range. The minimum focal distance from a subject is the same as the length of the lens hood, which made it very easy to get the lens in close to the intricate details in flowers, insects, and textures.
During our photo break we had a day and a half of rain and stormy weather. This didn’t stop us all from getting out amongst it and thanks to leak-resistant seals throughout the lens barrel and a highly durable protective fluorine coating I could trust that this lens is weather-resistant and water-repellent and still performed in a variety of conditions outdoors without worrying about the elements. The vibration compensation assisted me greatly to capture sharp images as the skies darkened, especially at the long end of the zoom (300mm) and was also useful when photographing handheld at low ISO’s.
Another bonus was its weight. For our walk down to the river, which crosses a few steep inclines, and a 30 minute hill climb at the end, I didn’t want to carry too much gear. At only 150mm long and 665 grams in weight, this lens is light and compact, which made it perfect to carry around without adding any bulk to my camera bag. On occasion I had it attached to my Spider Holster camera belt, and I barely noticed it was there.
With limited wildlife access during the retreat, I took the 50-300mm lens over to Rottnest Island to test it on the resident quokkas. The fast autofocus drive meant I could accurately lock onto subjects, and this was crucial for capturing spontaneous and fleeting moments. The smooth zoom mechanism also assisted me with quick focus on my quokka subjects, enabling me to catch some mid chew or right when they looked over at me.
Overall, the Tamron 50-300mm lens is an excellent choice for photographers who want the convenience of a wide zoom range for their travel, landscape, wildlife, macro, and portrait photography. As an added bonus, and compared to other lenses with similar features, it also comes at a competitive price, offering excellent value.
About Alex Cearns
Alex Cearns is a renowned professional photographer who specialises in capturing stunning animal portraits that convey the personality of her subjects. Through her business Houndstooth Studio she has photographed more than 15,000 beloved pets mostly dogs. Alex has won over 350 awards for her photography, philanthropy, and business.
She is an advocate and voice for animal rescue and conservation and has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the community through photography. Alex is a published author of eight books, an accomplished public speaker and a brand ambassador for Tamron, BenQ, Profoto, Studio Ninja, Ilford Imaging, SanDisk (mentor) and Spider Camera Holster. She launched Black Cat Consulting in 2018 to help fellow photographers and small business owners achieve their business goals.
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