Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical IF for Nikon

Pros: Sharpness, ease of use, zoom range
Cons: Not for low light situations

This lens exceeded my expectations by a lot! I agonized for months about getting it. We had used a 35mm SLR for years with a variety of lenses. But, we like to hike in the mountains, take wilderness canoe trips, and we were planning a lengthy trip to...

Pros: Sharp, contrasty, excellent VC system.
Cons: A bit slow to focus on any body below a D700

Before I review this lens, let's look at what it's for and what it's NOT for. This is not a lens to replace you 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 VR. This is a walk-around lens for those times when a multi-lens kit and lens changes are impractical. To that end ...

Pros: Good telephoto range
Cons: semi-poor quality

I have had the Tamron for nearly a year now and it is great. Although I am relatively new to photography still(3 years) and I have found many uses for this lens. I use it to take close ups, landscapes, and action shots. I an going to use it for...

Pros: Wonderful Zoom, Easy to Use, Perfect for traveling, a Good Quality Lens.
Cons: Slight loss of Sharpness during indoor photography with 100 speed film, very minor.

I enjoy traveling photography. This is a wonderful zoom lens to use. Combined with my Nikon F5 and/or Nikon N80, its autofocus is fast, accurate and all of my pictures came out great. The lens is sturdy and well constructed. Manual focus is good....

Pros: Lightweight, versatile, accurate AF, excellent optical quality for the price.
Cons: Slow AF in extreme focal changes/low light, noisy, MF ring too sensitive, f6.3 at 300mm.

This is a great all around lens. The zoom range is incredible and can easily replace dozens of lenses for the photographer on the go. At just over 14oz, it's perfect for traveling.

The optical quality is excellent, especially for the price. I've been very impressed with the color and sharpness of this lens at all focal lengths.


My biggest beef with this lens is that the AF is slow in low light or extreme focal changes (i.e. focus on an object 3ft away and then focus to infinity). However, it is very accurate...and noisy.


At times it can be difficult to focus manually since the slightest turn of the focus ring brings you from .49m to infinity. This is really nit-picking though.


Also, it would be nice if it was a little faster than f6.3 at 300mm but the size, weight, and price would all have to be compromised to accomplish this.


In summary, I definitely recommend this lens. It's a lot of lens for not a lot of price, especially if you can find it used.