Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD (Sony E-Mount)

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is a unique and versatile zoom lens designed for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras. With a wide-to-telephoto focal length range (35mm to 150mm) and a bright f/2-2.8 variable aperture, it stands out as an excellent all-in-one solution for portrait, event, and travel photographers who seek a fast, compact, and high-performance zoom lens. In this review, we’ll explore the build quality, image quality, performance, and overall value of this impressive lens.

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Features / Specifications

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is designed for photographers who demand both flexibility and high-quality performance. The lens combines a wide aperture with a wide focal range, making it suitable for various applications.

Focal Length: 35-150mm, covering wide-angle to telephoto, making it a great option for everything from landscapes and street photography to portraits and events.
Maximum Aperture: f/2 at the wide end and f/2.8 at the telephoto end, providing exceptional low-light performance and beautiful background blur.
Lens Construction: 19 elements in 14 groups, including special glass elements to reduce chromatic aberration and enhance sharpness.
Coating: BBAR (Broad Band Anti-Reflection) coating helps minimize flare and ghosting.
Autofocus System: VXD (Voice-coil Extreme Dynamic) autofocus motor, delivering fast, precise, and near-silent focusing.
Minimum Focus Distance: 33cm (13 inches) at 35mm, 70cm (27.5 inches) at 150mm.
Filter Size: 77mm.
Size and Weight: 144mm (5.7 inches) in length, 84mm (3.3 inches) in diameter, 1,100g (2.43 lbs).
Weather Sealing: Extensive weather-resistant construction to protect against dust and moisture, making it suitable for outdoor and nature photography.
Other Features:
- Versatile zoom range with fast aperture for beautiful bokeh and low-light capabilities.
- Excellent build quality with responsive and smooth zoom and focus rings.
- Ideal for both stills and video applications.

Build Quality

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is solidly built, reflecting Tamron’s reputation for high-quality optics and durable construction. The lens feels premium in hand, with smooth, reliable control rings and robust weather sealing.

Materials: The lens body is primarily constructed from high-quality plastic and metal, providing a solid feel without unnecessary weight.
Weather Sealing: The lens includes full weather sealing around the lens mount, zoom and focus rings, and other joints, offering protection against dust and moisture. This makes it ideal for outdoor photographers who face unpredictable weather conditions.
Zoom and Focus Rings: The zoom ring is large and smooth, making adjustments quick and precise, while the focus ring is smooth and responsive for fine-tuning manual focus.
Build Quality: Despite being a zoom lens, the build quality feels very premium, and the lens holds up well to the demands of professional shooting environments.

Size, Weight, and Dimensions

For a lens with a constant f/2-2.8 aperture, the Tamron 35-150mm is relatively compact, though it does weigh more than some other lenses in the Tamron lineup due to its advanced optics and aperture. However, compared to traditional zoom lenses with similar specifications, it is still quite manageable.

Weight: 1,100g (2.43 lbs). This is on the heavier side compared to some other zoom lenses, but still reasonable given the wide aperture and extensive zoom range.
Dimensions: 144mm (5.7 inches) in length, 84mm (3.3 inches) in diameter. The lens is compact for its performance but may require a slightly larger camera bag compared to smaller primes or more compact zooms.
Portability: Although it is a bit heavier than other lenses, the Tamron 35-150mm is still highly portable for the level of performance it offers, especially for photographers who need the versatility of a zoom lens.

Image Quality

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD produces outstanding image quality, delivering sharp, vibrant images with minimal optical distortions. Whether you’re shooting wide open at f/2 or stopping down to f/4, the lens consistently performs at a high level.

Sharpness

Center Sharpness: The lens delivers exceptional center sharpness at all focal lengths. Even wide open at f/2, the lens produces crisp details, especially at the wide end (35mm).
Edge Sharpness: The edges are also quite sharp, with minimal softening even at the wide end. As you zoom in towards 150mm, edge sharpness remains good, although it is slightly better when stopped down to f/4.
Zoom Range: The zoom range from 35mm to 150mm maintains excellent sharpness, with no major drop-off in performance throughout. This makes the lens versatile for a wide range of shooting situations, including portraits, events, and street photography.

Color and Contrast

Color Accuracy: Colors are rendered beautifully, with the lens producing vibrant but accurate hues, especially for portraits and nature shots. The contrast is also excellent, with well-defined shadows and highlights.
Flare and Ghosting: The BBAR (Broad Band Anti-Reflection) coating minimizes flare and ghosting, even when shooting directly into bright light sources. Images retain high contrast with very little loss of detail.

Bokeh

Background Blur: The aperture's rounded blades and the f/2-2.8 aperture give a soft, pleasing bokeh. This is especially apparent when shooting at the longer end of the focal range, where you get a smooth blur of backgrounds, making the subject stand out effectively.
Smoothness: The bokeh is aesthetically pleasing, with no noticeable harshness in the out-of-focus areas, even when shooting at the widest aperture.

Optical Aberrations

Chromatic Aberration: Chromatic aberration is minimal, and the lens handles high-contrast subjects without noticeable color fringing.
Distortion: There is mild barrel distortion at 35mm and slight pincushion distortion at 150mm, but these are easily corrected in post-processing or handled in-camera.
Vignetting: Some vignetting can be observed at f/2, especially at the wide end, but it is not severe and is easily corrected when stopped down or in post-production.

Autofocus

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD boasts an excellent autofocus system driven by the VXD (Voice-coil Extreme Dynamic) motor. It’s fast, precise, and nearly silent, making it ideal for both stills and video work.

Performance: The autofocus is quick to lock on to subjects, whether you’re shooting portraits or action scenes. It’s reliable and accurate, even in low-light conditions.
Tracking: The lens tracks moving subjects well, which is especially important for event and sports photography.
Video Autofocus: The autofocus is smooth and nearly inaudible when shooting video, with no noticeable hunting or hesitation during focus transitions.

Performance in Photography and Videography

Photography

Portraits: The Tamron 35-150mm excels at portrait photography, offering beautiful background separation at both the wide and telephoto ends. The f/2 aperture provides excellent subject isolation, with smooth, creamy bokeh.
Events and Weddings: This lens is versatile enough for event and wedding photographers, offering a wide-to-telephoto zoom range that covers everything from group shots to tight portraiture. The f/2 aperture allows for excellent low-light performance, even in dim indoor settings.
Street and Travel Photography: While on the larger side for street photography, its flexibility and fast aperture make it a good choice for travel photographers who need to capture a wide range of scenes, from landscapes to portraits, without changing lenses constantly.
Landscape and Architecture: The 35mm focal length is great for landscapes, and the sharpness across the frame is excellent, even at wider apertures. The lens can also handle architectural shots, with minimal distortion.

Videography

Autofocus for Video: The Tamron 35-150mm features the VXD (Voice-coil Extreme Dynamic) autofocus system, which is fast, precise, and nearly silent—ideal for video work. The autofocus transitions are smooth, and you won’t hear the lens motor during recording.
Focus Breathing: There is minimal focus breathing, which is a plus for videographers who need to pull focus during shots without noticeable changes in the composition.
Manual Focus: The focus ring is smooth, and manual focusing is easy and precise, which is a great advantage when pulling focus manually for more cinematic control.

Use Cases

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is versatile enough for a wide variety of photography and videography needs:

Portrait Photography: The f/2-2.8 aperture offers smooth bokeh and subject isolation, making it perfect for environmental portraits, headshots, and lifestyle photography.
Event and Wedding Photography: The wide-to-telephoto zoom range is perfect for covering different aspects of events, from wide group shots to candid close-ups.
Sports and Wildlife: The long focal length and fast aperture allow for action shots with blurred backgrounds, making it suitable for sports and wildlife photography, especially in controlled settings.
Travel and Street Photography: For photographers on the go, this lens offers the convenience of a single lens solution for a wide variety of subjects, from wide cityscapes to candid shots.
Videography: The fast autofocus, minimal focus breathing, and sharp image quality make this lens an excellent choice for videographers.

Price

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is priced competitively for its capabilities. Offering a wide-to-telephoto zoom range, fast aperture, and exceptional image quality, it provides great value for money, especially when compared to other premium lenses in the same focal length range.

Price Range: Mid-range for its category.
Value for Money: Excellent. This lens offers performance comparable to higher-priced alternatives, making it a good investment for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is a highly versatile and high-performing lens that is ideal for a wide range of shooting applications, from portraiture and event photography to sports and videography. Its combination of a fast f/2-2.8 aperture, sharp image quality, and reliable autofocus make it a compelling option for Sony full-frame mirrorless users. While it may not be as compact as some other lenses, its flexibility and excellent value for money make it an excellent all-around lens for professionals and serious enthusiasts alike.

Conclusion

Rating

Our overall rating: 9.0/10

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is a highly versatile and well-built lens that delivers exceptional image quality and fast, reliable autofocus. It offers excellent value for money in the wide-to-telephoto zoom category.