If you've been looking for a long telephoto lens for less than ￡1000, odds are you've been disappointed. Until now that is, as the new Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 VC USD boasts an impressive zoom range and just sneaks in under the ￡1000 bracket.

The Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD would rate recommendation on the basis of its price alone, all other factors being equal. Its closest competitor is Sigma's 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM, which has a similar AF drive mechanism and optical stabilisation.

In the same way that all little boys want to be astronauts, all budding photographers dream of long lenses. Right? Well, perhaps not all, but the super-long lens is surely on the wish list of many who have yet to realise that they won't actually need one.

capture the power and beauty of wildlife, birds, travel destinations, and exciting sports action close-ups with this high-performance 150-600 mm long-range zoom. VC (Vibration Compensation) and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) enable you to shoot crisp imahes of fast-moving, distant subjects handheld,...

Dollar for dollar this is a hard lens to beat. Good sharpness and contrast. One of the best lens purchases I've ever made. Really should be a lens any serious photographer should own, unless you can afford the big bucks on the Nikon or Canon glass. For the size of the lens its not too heavy.

Light weight for what it is; Fairly sharp; Good contrast; Zoom range

Can take multiple twists to reach focus when manually focusing

The Tamron lens has a very good build quality although it still stays a little short of professional grade lenses here. The lens body is made of a combination of metal and plastic parts.

The 150-600mm telezoom lens has come into its own in recent years. Tamron came to the party first, with its affordable SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD ($1,069.00 at Amazon) , but was quickly joined by Sigma, which released consumer and pro-grade versions of its 150-600mm simultaneously. The Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 ($1,399) isn't a replacement for its first take. Instead it's a pricier, sturdier, more refined optic, complete with an all-weather build and incredible image stabilization system. We're sticking with the Sigma 150-600mm DG HSM Contemporary ($1,069.00 at Amazon) as our Editors' Choice, but if your shooting needs call for work in heavy rain, consider the Tamron G2 as an alternative. Design Like other 150-600mm designs, the Tamron G2 ($1,069.00 at Amazon) is a big lens that extends when zoomed beyond the 150mm point. It measures 10.2 by 4.3 inches (HD) and weighs 4.4 pounds. It's in line with the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary (10.2 by 4.1 inches, 4.3 pounds)...

The Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens has some edge sharpness issues, but is an overall solid performer, especially when paired with an APS-C SLR.

Strong sharpness through most of range; Excellent stabilization system; Quick autofocus; Lockable zoom mechanism; Rotating tripod collar; Integrated Arca-Swiss foot; Weather-sealed design; Available for Canon, Nikon, and Sony SLRs

Weak edge performance at wide and telephoto extremes; Teleconverter use limits autofocus operation

Here we have an updated version of Tamron's already excellent 150-600mm zoom lens . With the promise of improved optical performance, faster AF, improved VC (Vibration Compensation) and many other minor improvements this looks to be a compelling upgrade. Let's see how it performs.

When Tamron introduced the first generation of the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 super telephoto lens, they were innovators in the third-party market. Never before had the barrier to entry for photography requiring a super telephoto lens been so low.