This photo above was taken during the typhoon season which hits Japan from July to November every year. I shot this at 280mm, which was effectively 450mm with the APS-C sensor. This place doesn’t allow you to get a close vantage point so having the incredible zoom capability of the Tamron 16-300mm was a huge bonus in allowing me to get this shot. The stated focal length of a lens is only technically true at infinity focusing distance. 'Focus breathing' is a reduction in focal length at closer range, as a consequence of the internal focusing (IF) mechanism used to keep the overall length of the lens down. All IF lenses do it to some extent, but superzooms are known to be particularly prone as manufacturers push the limits to reduce bulk. The other issue is that Tamron assumes that the main subject is almost always at longer settings. Vignetting is not an issue, though, and the distortions and chromatic aberrations can be fixed post-processing. The 16-300mm lens by Tamron is one of the latest additions to this category. Vendors market it as the go-to option for zooming in tight for close-ups and taking wide-angle photos. In this Tamron 16-300mm review, we’ll look at some of the things to consider when buying the 16-300mm lens. The question is, does it live up to the claims? Let’s find out. Tamron 16-300mm– Our Opinion At wider focal lengths, sharpness is excellent in the center, and across the frame at around F5.6-8. As focal length is increased, sharpness reduces, taking more of a hit towards the edges where it's decidedly soft above 200mm. F8 is the overall optimum aperture and will always deliver decent sharpness in the centre, even at 300mm. Chromatic Aberration

Image: Shot approximately halfway through the focal range at f/8, this image shows plenty of details in the horses’ hair When looking through the viewfinder while engaging and disengaging the VC, you can truly see an immediate and substantial smoothing out of camera shake. Though definitely not a replacement for a good tripod and steady hands, the VC made a noticeable difference in the sharpness of images taken at slower shutter speeds in low light. Small DetailsBarrelling and pincushion distortion do make an appearance, though, bending lines close to the edges of the frame at almost all focal length positions. While the barrelling at the 16mm end is not as bad as it could be in distant subjects, when we focus on closer things it is an issue. A church interior, for example, will suffer only a little, but the small bedroom of your house might take on an obviously distorted look. While there are certainly advantages to using an APS-C sensor, there will also be costs in having a zoom with such a range. Unfortunately, the laws of optics dictate that some of those costs will be higher in a lens designed for APS-C sensors than they are for those designed for the thumbnail-sized sensors of the original bridge models. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro review – Build and handling A petal-shaped hood is supplied with the lens, which does a decent job of shielding the front element from extraneous light that may cause flare or loss on contrast. At 300mm, shooting into the light does result in a slight loss of contrast, but otherwise, this lens is fairly resistant to flare. The version of this Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro lens I had to test was fitted for Canon EF-S, so I chose to mount it on an EOS 70D – being perhaps at the upper end of the kind of camera with which we might expect this lens to be used. Extended or contracted, the lens makes a fine mate for the body. The two balance well, and while somewhat heavy for all-day carrying, it is no worse than most enthusiasts are prepared to lumber themselves with. There's no such cure for 'focus breathing' - the reduction in focal length at closer focusing distances. All internal focusing lenses do it to some extent, as it delivers good close-up capability without the attendant increase in physical lens length, but Tamron has been unusually greedy here (details in the review). Focus breathing is not often a problem, but if you need maximum focal length at close range, with subjects like small garden birds perhaps, then it canbe. The Final Word

Zooming to 70mm, results in a drop in sharpness to very good levels in the centre of the frame at maximum aperture, but clarity towards the edges of the frame is improved, reaching good levels. As is the case at 16mm, f/8 provides the best performance across the frame; with excellent sharpens in the centre and very good clarity towards the edges. Beyond the 50mm mark, the bending switches to the other way – inwards in the middle – and we enjoy pincushion distortion, the slimming properties of which chubby faces appreciate so much. Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. In the AF 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens, Tamron have employed an iris diaphragm with seven rounded blades, which has resulted in quite nice bokeh in our view. We do realise, however, that bokeh evaluation is subjective, so we've included some 100% crops for your perusal. While the focal length is somewhat correct at the wide range, it is not even close to 300mm at the maximum telephoto setting. I was comparing it to several lenses, including Canon EF 100-300mm, Canon EF-S 55-250mm, and older manual Tamron SP 60-300mm. The maximum zoom setting (300mm) in reality corresponds to 250mm at best. Tamron’s Vibration Compensation System does not disappoint when it comes to image stabilization. It makes a massive difference in image quality, even at 300mm and below the standard hand-holding threshold. It sets a baseline that accounts for individual variables and establishes acceptable limits of sharpness. AutofocusThe absolutely huge zoom range offered by this lens, hasn't compromised the size, with it having similar dimension to many 4x or 5x zooms lenses and it weighs only 540g. The low weight and compact size make this lens an ideal candidate as a walkabout lens for those times you may wish to travel light. It feels right at home on the Nikon D7100 body used for testing, and will make a good companion for smaller, more compact DSLR camera bodies as well. High quality plastics with a matte finish have been used for much of the construction of the lens barrel, and it feels reasonably robust as a result. A rubber gasket, located around the metal lens bayonet, will help to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture into the camera body. But there's a fairly long list of downsides too, with image quality at longer focal lengths being perhaps at the top. Sharpness is very high at the wide end when stopped down a little, right across the frame, and that's great for landscapes. At F8, high edge-to-edge sharpness is available up to 100mm or so, but then there's a notable downturn with the edges in particular taking a hit. From 200-300mm, edge sharpness is never very good, not helped by the plentiful levels of chromatic aberration present, but to be fair it stays crisp in the centre. It looks as if Tamron has prioritized central sharpness, on the basis that this is most likely where the main subject will be at longer settings - and as a very rough generalization, that's probably true. Dave, you say I'm making a "pointless observation" because the lens will only be for casual snapshots. Thanks. But in your desire to put me down, I think you've missed what I'm really getting at, the context. As is usual with these mega-zooms, we are faced with the long-end focal lengths that are not always practical to use, as the maximum working aperture when we set the lens to 300mm is f/6.3. Requiring a shutter speed of 1/300sec to keep away from the effects of camera shake, we often need to increase our ISO to levels uncomfortable for the subject matter. However, in this model the application of Vibration Compensation is of great assistance, and often during this test it made the difference between a sharp and clear image, and one that would have been neither. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro review – Image quality

I'm not worried about optical distortion; not that I noticed any given my subjects. I shoot RAW and process using DXO Optics Pro 9. They are very good at updating their database of optical lens corrections for camera/lens combinations. While this lens and my A65 are not yet supported, I have no doubt they will be. If you have a smaller camera with a smaller sensor, you’ll need this feature. Frequently Asked QuestionsA fear of dust on imaging sensors was another massive plus point for bridge cameras, as they never had to expose their innards to the elements. Also, people generally liked the convenience, while swallowing the disadvantages of the bridge camera’s inevitably smaller sensor. The smaller lens on top is the Tamron 16-300mm. And the giant lens below is the Tamron 150-600mm. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Tamron 150–600mm telephoto lens. However, it is big, bulky, and heavy. In this photo, you can see it is more than double the size of the 16-300 mm Tamron, and much, much harder to carry around and shoot handheld.

There's a distance scale that runs from the closest distance of 39cm to infinity, but no depth of field scale. The rear element is surrounded by a metal lens mount and hides 16 elements in 12 groups. That's a lot of glass for the light to go through and is under continuous threat of dispersion. There are seven aperture blades for the aperture range which has a minimum of f/22-f/40.

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The lens is supplied with lens caps and a petal-shaped lens hood - there's no bag included. The filter size is 67mm. Focal Range The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges. Averaging them out gives the red weighted column.