Thinking about replacing my Tamron 70-300 LD macro or "love the one I'm with"

[stemked]

<p>Hello All.<br>

I am giving some serious consideration of replacing my Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 with a Pentax DA L 55-300 f?-5.8. This is a travel lens for me, something I can get decent nature (mostly bird) shots with. I occasionally used the 'macro' with limited success and since I almost always have a macro lens with me anyways the macro feature was more of a matter of a macro shot that would get away before I changed the lens. Below is a cropped shot of a Social Flycatcher I took in Costa Rica with my K10. and the Tamron (probably about 1/10th the field). Tripod shot.<br>

.<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/15570632-sm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="157" /><br>

And here is the full shot (reduced)<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10900211-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="455" /><br>

I admit I have been very impressed with the images with the Pentax 55-300 on the long end. I was wondering a couple of things though:<br>

1) Should I expect a substantially better image with the 55-300?<br>

2) Has anyone used a Diopter with the lens? I haven't seen any reviews for this combo. What kind would you recommend? I have a bunch of the cheap-o ones (possibly even with a 58mm thread) but I am thinking higher quality.<br>

This lens is designed to fit my "light travel with family zoom" so it's ok it's not my 300mm f4.5 F. Hopefully I still get some decent wildlife shots with it (for Europe). Your thoughts are appreciated.</p>

[htarragon]

<p>Doug, why do you want to change lenses? I have the 55-300 and like it a lot, in fact it has replaced my 50-200 kit lens as the one that stays on my camera. It does not have "macro" capability as does the Tamron, otherwise, they are virtually identical in specifications except at the "wide" end.<br>

Here are two shots from last summer, handheld from about 8 feet away. Slight fuzziness due to mine or subjects' movement. They have only been resized for posting.<br>

1</p><div></div>

[htarragon]

<p>2</p><div></div>

[htarragon]

<p>Sorry, first one was @ 300mm</p>

[stemked]

<p>Why do I want to change lenses? (I should have made this clear) I don't find it especially sharp on the long end (hence the images). If there is a substantial improvement on the long end I'd be interested in a different lens. Frankly it's on the long end that I'm mostly concerned about, the Tamron seems fine below 200mm. I originally got the lens just to help me with bird ids's (shoot first, id later) but now I'd really like a little better quality. with those images. I have better optics in the range but they are all too large to be a light travel lens.</p>

[laur1]

<p>The Tamron is not that good at 300mm, but works great at 180-200mm. It works well enough that you can crop to get the angle of view of a 300mm with enough detail left.</p>

<p>Here is an example:<br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurentiucristofor/5924327301"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6023/5924327301_b1209b3a72.jpg" alt="" width="332" height="500" /></a></p>

<p>And a tighter crop:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurentiucristofor/5924889506"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6138/5924889506_2ec93a1248.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>

<p>You can click on images for more info and larger sizes.</p>

<p>The most important part is accurate focusing. I use manual focusing.</p>

[r.t. dowling]

<p>It's hard to say whether it would be substantially better or not. Looking at the test results on Photozone, it does not appear that the Pentax is sharper than the Tamron. It does, however, seem to maintain its contrast a bit better through the zoom range. I would go out on a limb and suggest that the Pentax might autofocus a bit faster, and perhaps offer more consistent exposures (my Tamron's AF stinks at the long end, and it tends to underexpose slightly or overexpose slightly at certain focal lengths -- this is irritating because I can't just set the exposure compensation and forget it, due to the variation throughout the zoom range). The Pentax also has quick-shift manual focus, which is always nice.</p>

<p>If you buy the Pentax lens and find that it's not much better than your Tamron, you could probably sell it and make a profit, the way Pentax lens prices are going!</p>

[henkc]

<p>I should really try my copy of the Tamron at <200mm. I tend to only use it when I want to shoot at 300mm and I don't find it impressive at all.</p>

[hinman]

<p>I missed my Tamron zoom ever since I replaced it with DA 55-300mm. The Pentax is better in build, focus and very clean without fringing but I miss the Tamron for its sharpness and close up. </p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3079/2710495085_367f6b9557_z.jpg" alt="" /><br>

in 300mm with 1.4x TC with K10D</p>

<p><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4114/4813393725_d6d2879893_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="425" /><br>

240mm with K-x</p>

<p><img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4143/4814017388_6022aed936_z.jpg" alt="" /><br>

260mm with K-x</p>

<p>For long end, I do try to limit it under 260mm use. And what I missed the most is the handy close up with the zoom which is quite missing in the DA<br>

<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3092/2550113016_e7d498f652_z.jpg" alt="" width="428" height="640" /></p>

<p> <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2133/2537869550_9f1113f162_z.jpg" alt="" width="548" height="640" /><br>

300mm with K10D</p>

[stemked]

<p>Wow Hin. Your Tamron seems a lot sharper than mine! If I was getting results like that it wouldn't be an issue.</p>

[hinman]

<p>The Tamron zoom is infamous with fringing and my copy is no exception and it can be annoying. Some old pictures and past good experience with close up make me missing my Tamron zoom. The long zoom range happens not to be a lens that I use frequently and if I have to re-visit my decision, I will have picked the cheaper one with the Tamron and deal with the fringing in PP. The DA is better in build, focus and perhaps contrast but it lacks the versatile character that I find in the Tamron zoom. I am perhaps the minority who prefers the Tamron over the DA zoom.</p>

<p>The 1:2 close up in the Tamron in particular make it a versatile zoom to bring along in traveling and getting close to nature.</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3174/2439033177_14d681d119_z.jpg" alt="" width="428" height="640" /><br /> with K10D</p>

<p><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2028/2439030097_0b94181447_z.jpg" alt="" width="428" height="640" /><br /> with K10D</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3315/3648219167_c0853474a0_z.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="640" /><br /> with K20D</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3321/3648300319_b74cbbfca0_z.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="640" /><br /> with K20D</p>

[r.t. dowling]

<p>Hin, can you tell us what aperture those were shot at? I couldn't find it in the EXIF. Just curious. :-) My Tamron is fairly soft wide open, but if I stop down just a little bit -- to 6.3 or 7.1 -- the sharpness does improve. The biggest issue is the iffy autofocus, and my difficulty in trying to adjust the focus manually (K100D viewfinder isn't the greatest, and relying on the focus confirmation light always results in backfocus).</p>

[hinman]

<p>#1 rose -- 1/400 sec, f/8.0, iso 100, 260mm, -1/3 Ev, K10D</p>

<p>#2 ladybug -- 1/500 sec, f/8.0, iso 100, 300mm, 0 Ev, K10D</p>

<p>#3 flower -- 1/400 sec, f/6.3, iso 200, 300mm, 0 Ev, K20D</p>

<p>#4 squirrel -- 1/200 sec, f/6.3, iso 100, 200mm, 0 Ev, K20D </p>

[r.t. dowling]

<p>Thanks, Hin!</p>

<p>My Tamron is all over the place with exposures. At some focal lengths I have to use as much as -1 exposure compensation; at other focal lengths I have to use +0.3 or +0.7. I should probably just use auto bracketing with this lens, but for some reason I never think of it until after the fact.</p>

<p>6.3 to 8 definitely seems to be the sweet spot for sharpness with this lens when shooting in the 180mm-300mm range.</p>

[todd_phillips3]

<p>wow Hin you got some sweet shots with those sweet spots.. ;-)</p>

[r.t. dowling]

<p>Tamron 70-300 in macro mode -- 180/8:</p>

<p><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/IMGP1532.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="465" /></p>

<p>I had to use -0.7 exposure compensation in this one. Good sharpness, though.</p>