kamikaze99's reviews

Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD SP

Just got this beauty, and man is it made like a tank, less weighty and almost the same length as the latest canon 70-200 f2.8 IS II). Sharpness is excellent, and better than my old Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS (the original). High contrast images and very fast focusing. Creamy bokeh.
VC is exemplary - I was able to consistently shoot sharp images at 1/25 sec at 200mm over 80% of the time at AI servo with my Canon 5D II.
Manual focusing is adequate, although the rubberized ring is too small, and opposite the direction of other canon zooms, which takes some getting used to. There are no settings for VC using a tripod, although I noticed no problems in this regard. Tamron could have offered a carrying case for this monster, as anything but a full sized camera bag will not accomodate this camera/lens combination. For those that want to lighten their load, I recommend you consider removing the collar ring.
DXOmark ratings confirm that sharpness is actually better than the canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS II except at 200mm, where it is slightly less sharp. Overall, I love this mama !!!