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

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.

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.

The ultimate focal length for surfing and bird photography. This wonderful lens from Tamron has taken the market by storm because it has a huge focal range and a very reasonable price. It has great quality especially in the 300 - 500mm range and has fast AF and a great image stabilizer.

Bought second-hand for ￡500 ($750) two weeks ago, and I must say it is far better than I was expecting! I already had the superb Tamron 24-70 (A007) so my expectations were pretty high in any case. On the full frame D810 auto-focus is virtually instant and accurate.

Excellent VR - Hand-holdable @600, affordable, good contrast & colour, smooth bokeh

None at this price

Before summarizing the performance metrics let me make a clear statement here. Tamron did something awesome with the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD - they managed to produce this lens at a very moderate price tag of less than 1000 US$/EUR.

Gary Wolstenholme reviews this new ultra telephoto zoom lens from Tamron, with a massive 600mm telephoto zoom.

Very good centre sharpness throughout the range; Effective Vibration Compensation system; Good value; Good build quality; Extremely low CA; Low distortion; Resistant to flare and retains good contrast shooting into the light

No claims made about weather resistance

The Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD is an excellent ultra-telephoto zoom lens, offering good image quality with smooth bokeh and sharpness, an effective built-in image stabilisation system which makes it possible to hand-hold and still get sharp results, and a price that certainly won't break...

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

After driving myself nuts with reviews of all the big zooms, this was on sale for $800.00. Talk about bang for your buck.. Very, very sharp, I think at all focal lengths. Great VR, some vr jump after the shot, but ok... easy to hand hold with the tripod collar on & it makes a great carry handle...