Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD: A Compact and Affordable Telephoto Zoom for Sony E-Mount
If you are looking for a telephoto zoom lens for your Sony E-mount camera, you might be interested in the Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD. This lens offers a versatile focal length range, a compact and lightweight design, and a reasonable price tag. In this article, we will review the main features, benefits, and drawbacks of this lens, and compare it with some similar products on the market. We will also share some user reviews and provide a link to buy the lens online.
Features and Benefits
The Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is the first 70-300mm zoom lens designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It covers a popular and useful range of telephoto perspectives, from portraits and wildlife to sports and landscapes. It is also compatible with APS-C format cameras, where it provides a 105-450mm equivalent zoom range.
The lens has a sleek and simple design, with only one zoom ring and one focus ring on the barrel. It measures 5.8 by 3 inches (HD) and weighs only 1.2 pounds, making it the smallest and lightest 70-300mm lens available for full-frame cameras. It also has a 67mm filter thread, which is the same size as all other Tamron E-mount lenses, making it easy to share filters among them.
The lens features an RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping drive) autofocus motor, which delivers fast, accurate, and quiet performance. It supports the Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF modes of Sony’s latest cameras, as well as Direct Manual Focus (DMF) for fine-tuning. The lens also has a moisture-resistant construction and a fluorine coating on the front element to protect it from dust, dirt, and fingerprints.
The lens has a variable aperture of f/4.5-6.3, which means that it gets darker as you zoom in. This limits its low-light performance and depth of field control, but also helps to keep the size and weight down. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.8m (31.5 inches) at the wide end and 1.5m (59.1 inches) at the telephoto end, which is not very close compared to some other lenses in this category. The maximum magnification ratio is 0.2x at 300mm, which is decent but not impressive for macro photography.
The lens does not have optical stabilization, which means that you will need to rely on the in-body stabilization of your camera or use a tripod to avoid blurry shots at longer focal lengths or slower shutter speeds. The lens also does not have any switches or buttons on the barrel, such as an autofocus limiter or a custom function button, which some users might miss.
Comparison with Similar Products
There are several other telephoto zoom lenses that compete with the Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD in terms of price, performance, and features. Here is a table that compares some of their main specifications:
| Lens | Price | Weight | Length | Filter Size | Aperture | Stabilization | Closest Focus | Max Magnification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD | $549 | 1.2 lb | 5.8 in | 67 mm | f/4.5-6.3 | No | 0.8m / 1.5m | 0.2x |
| Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS | $1,173 | 1.9 lb | 5.7 in | 72 mm | f/4.5-5.6 | Yes | 0.9m / 0.9m | 0.31x |
| Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary | $949 | 2.5 lb | 7.8 in | 67 mm | f/5-6.3 | Yes | 1.6m / 1.6m | 0.24x |
| Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS | $2,498 | 3 lb | 8 in | 77 mm | f/4.5-5.6 | Yes | 0.98m / 0.98m | 0.35x |
As you can see, the Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD has the advantage of being the most affordable, compact, and lightweight option among these lenses. It also has the same filter size as the Sigma 100-400mm, which is convenient if you already own other Tamron E-mount lenses. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as the lack of stabilization, the narrower aperture, and the shorter zoom range compared to the other lenses.
The Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS is the closest competitor to the Tamron lens, as it has a similar zoom range and aperture. However, it costs more than twice as much, weighs more, and has a larger filter size. On the other hand, it also has optical stabilization, a closer focus distance, and a higher magnification ratio than the Tamron lens.
The Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary is another alternative that offers a longer zoom range and optical stabilization for a lower price than the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS, which is a premium lens for professional use. However, both of these lenses are much heavier and longer than the Tamron lens, and have a darker aperture at the telephoto end.
User Reviews
Here are some excerpts from user reviews of the Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD that we have rewritten to avoid plagiarism and improve readability:
– “I bought this lens to use with my Sony A7III and I am very happy with it. It is very sharp, fast, and quiet in autofocus, and works well with eye AF. It is also very light and easy to carry around. The only downside is that it does not have stabilization, so you need to use a fast shutter speed or a tripod to avoid camera shake.”
– “This lens is a great addition to my Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 lenses. It gives me a lot of flexibility and versatility for different situations. The image quality is very good, especially in the center of the frame. The edges are a bit soft at 300mm, but not too bad. The build quality is also very good, and I like that it has weather sealing.”
– “I was looking for a telephoto zoom lens for my Sony A6600 and I decided to try this one. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed on my APS-C camera. It gave me a 105-450mm equivalent zoom range, which was perfect for wildlife and sports photography. The autofocus was fast and accurate, and the lens was very light and compact for its zoom range.”
– “I was disappointed by this lens. It was not sharp enough for my standards, especially at the long end of the zoom range. The aperture was also too narrow for low-light situations or bokeh effects. The lack of stabilization was also a big problem for me, as I often shoot handheld. I ended up returning it and getting the Sony FE 70-300mm instead.”
Conclusion
The Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is a good option for Sony E-mount users who want a telephoto zoom lens that is affordable, compact, and lightweight. It offers a decent image quality, a fast and quiet autofocus system, and a moisture-resistant construction. However, it also has some limitations, such as the lack of stabilization, the narrow aperture, and the mediocre close-up performance.
If you are interested in buying this lens, you can click on this link to order it online from Amazon.com.
: [Tamron 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Review | PCMag] : [Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD review – Digital Camera World] : [Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Camera Lenses for Sony Mirrorless …] : [Tamron 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Review | Photography Blog] : [Tamron 70-300 F4.5-6.3 Di RXD III Overview – Digital Photography Review]
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