I’ve been a big fan of Tamron lenses for a while now. While I never actually tried the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G1 version. I was super keen to try out the second generation of this lens. I currently have the 70-300mm and the 28-75mm. So, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 was a great middle-range lens for shooting portraits and such out of the studio.
Tamron’s 70-180mm G2 f/2.8 is the smallest tele-zoom lens and easily fits in your hand and camera bag. Super fast f/2.8 across the zoom range, capturing everything from action to portraits to macro. Thanks to the Vibration Compensation and VXD linear motor mechanism, every shot is stabilized and sharply focused.
Note: Tamron sent the 70-180mm G2 kit to review and return. However, this is a completely independent review. All thoughts about this lens are our own.
Pros
- Small and compact and relatively lightweight
- Same 67mm diameter so my filters all fit
- F/2.8 through entire zoon, unlike other that will range out to f/5.6 or 6.3 when at full zoom
- Fast auto focus
- Zoom function was very smooth
- Love the lock function, it’s missing with the 70-300mm version
Cons
- I had to return the review unit. Honestly, there was nothing I didn’t really like about this lens.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 — Technical specifications
All technical specifications have been taken from Tamron’s website.
- Model: A065
- Focal Length: 70-180mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
- Angle of View: (diagonal) 34°21′- 13°42′ (for full-frame mirrorless format)
- Optical Construction: 20 elements in 15 groups
- Minimum Object Distance: 0.3m (11.8in) (WIDE) / 0.85m (33.5in) (TELE)
- Maximum Magnification: Ratio1:2.6 (WIDE) / 1:4.7 (TELE)
- Filter Size: φ67mm
- Maximum Diameter: φ83mm
- Length: 156.5mm (6.2in)
- Weight: 855g (30.2oz)
- Aperture Blades: 9 (circular diaphragm)
- Minimum Aperture: f/22
- Standard Accessory: Flower-shaped hood, Lens caps
- Mount: Sony E-mount
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 — Ergonomics and build quality
Lovely smooth zoom function, great autofocus, beautiful color and sharp focus. Terrific bokeh and compression as well. I adored using it for pet portraits outside. As it is really no bigger than the 70-300mm, I found it easy to use. The fact that it keeps the f/2.8 aperture at all zoom lengths is a big bonus. It felt sturdy and the grip is good. The zoom ring moved well, not sticky or stiff.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 — In the field
This lens is so good to use whether it’s capturing insects, flowers, people or landscapes. The color is terrific and I found next to no vignetting on the edges. Even in less than ideal lighting conditions it handled everything really well.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 – Autofocus performance
The autofocus is fast, quiet and accurate. Using the 180mm zoom and the minimum focus distance I could use it as a great macro lens with a smooth creamy bokeh. Fast enough for bees and butterflies, as well as small children and dogs in the backyard. While I am not a sports photographer, I would think it would be excellent for that too.
There is on this generation of the Tamron 70-180mm a USB-C socket making it compatible with the Tamron lens utility. However, I didn’t actually try it myself. Apparently, the feature allows you to change the from non-linear to linear and also to set the necessary rotation from the minimum focus distance to infinity in 90° increments from 90° to 360°. If you want, you can also change the direction of rotation of the focus ring.
There is no AF/MF switch but the Custom switch and buttons allow you to program three different functions at once, ie; AF/MF switch, preset focus and focus limiter. I also like the lock feature at 70mm, which stops the lens from becoming loose and moving around while not in use. The lens hood can also be reverse mounted for transport.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 — Image quality and characteristics
Distortion control and vignetting
I found next to no vignetting and no real distortions. The Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 features a built-in profile for correcting lateral CA which is automatically applied in Lightroom/CameraRaw and cannot be turned off there.
Chromatic aberrations, flares, and ghosting
Even shooting into the sun I found there were minimal chromatic aberrations, flares or ghosting in the images. Lovely soft highlights and bokeh. On the other hand there was no real star burst either, but I didn’t try it at f/16 or higher. I did use the lens hood, so perhaps there may be some flare or ghosting when shooting directly into the sun without the lens hood.
Sharpness
I found that even cropped or zoomed-in sharpness was terrific, with great details without any artefacts. At either end of the tele function, I found the sharpness was terrific from 70mm all the way through to 180mm. The minimum focal distance at both ends is quite good too. This allowed me to capture macro images of subjects slightly further away, that I could not quite get to with my 90mm macro lens.
Bokeh
The bokeh is soft and creamy, with no distracting artefacts, but it didn’t have the circular bokeh effect of say my 50mm prime. I personally like the bokeh and compression when using the 180mm zoom on subjects a little further away. Makes for terrific florals and portraits too.
Color rendition
I found the color rendition of this lens to be accurate, with no color casts at all.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 – Final thoughts
Out of the studio, I think this is a brilliant portrait lens. The f/2.8 and extra tele zoom are great for the compression of the background, making your subject pop. I’m not exactly sure how well it would rate in high-action sports, but for low to midlevel action, it worked really well. If you like to photograph pets or kids at the park, portraits and such, it would be a brilliant lens.
