Tamron 14-150mm Micro 4/3

[ajohnw]

I had been wondering about getting a small bridge camera to cover this sort of range but it wouldn't be used much and that usually means charging a battery any time I want to use it. So went for this lens instead. Not exactly pocketable but looks ok on an E-M1 even at full zoom. Might be a bit OTT on a Pen.

All metal and finish similar to the Oly Pro range but the Tamron logo looks a bit naff, not that I care - engraved and filled with white paint, dead plain.

A few quick test shots.

This one is full sized, taken for a CA check etc



Full sized
http://www.23hq.com/ajohnw/photo/18038641/original

The rest are just general shots as the weather here isn't too good at the moment. SOOC jpg's just reduced and sharpened all camera enhancements off
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I played around with the last one so thought I should do that one from raw as it gives a better idea of what the lens can do
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Think I am reasonably pleased with it. Can't expect too much from a 10 to 1 zoom and from tests the Olympus version is a bit better but worth the extra cost??? I don't think so.

John
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[Shadowman]

Nice captures, have you tried the 40-150mm or were you looking for the smaller focal length? I have the 14-42 and 40-150mm and both are so light weight that carrying both only creates a bulging camera bag issue.

[davidedric]

Yes, nice, but my understanding is that the does not have VR. Is that right? I have the Pany 14-140, which is more expensive but which I am very happy with. I assume you have IBIS on the Olympus, but I can't see Tamron selling many to Pany users. However I find the focal lengths and quality great for a travel camera.

[ajohnw]

I was after one lens to walk around with John that is reasonably compact plus no lens changes. I have the 14-42mm and the 40-150mm and would say both are better lenses than this but I think I will find it adequate for walks etc when I don't fancy carrying much gear. I sometime miss the flexibility of some of the compacts I have used in the past and feel that this will give better results anyway. The alternative would have been the same focal length range on the Stylus 1. Smaller lighter and a much smaller sensor. Even from these few shots it looks like it will give better results than one of those too. The lenses I use most often are the 12-50mm and the 75-300mm. More recently the 9-18mm mostly as some one put it as a macro lens for big stuff. I'd guess that one will always be with me now I have used it for that - just in case it's needed.

The rose bud shot I posted is under 30mm across so the lens offers limited macro capabilities focusing down to 500mm at all focal lengths. The results from that surprised me, not bad at all really. Pity AF focused smack on the front of it wasting half the dof. I often see this happening on all cameras,

To be honest I have sold some gear recently and came very close to buying the Stylus. This is probably a more sensible option really. I don't feel guilty about buying more if I have sold some.

True David no IS but I have it in body so don't need it. I have used Panasonic in lens IS and in some ways I find that the sensor shift is better. Many of the reviews think it's odd that Tamron have taken on the main manufacturers head to head. I feel they should have thrown weather proofing in. One good thing is that Olympus are offering firmware updates for both Sigma and Tamron lenses via the usual update service. What I feel Tamron should do really is a good quality 150-400mm weather sealed zoom as it looks like neither Olympus or Panasonic intend to fill this slot.

My general feeling is it isn't bad. I've seen worse off certain Nikon lenses but on the other hand I don't expect much from a zoom with this sort of range especially on M 4/3 as the small pixels give lenses a really hard time. The Olympus version looks to be better at the wider apertures but I didn't fancy the extra cost - More money left from the sales.

John
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[vaez]

nice image

[jcuknz]

Pity AF focused smack on the front of it wasting half the dof. I often see this happening on all cameras,
John
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My solution to this aspect of AF is to let it do its job and then holding half trigger move the camera slightly towards the subject ... of course it doesn't work with continuous AF I guess ... don't use that so I don't know

[davidedric]

If Tamron did offer a high quality long zoom I would certainly be interested, I think that is a serious gap in the system for wildlife. If that were available then I would be moving fully to m4/3

Dave

[ajohnw]

My solution to this aspect of AF is to let it do its job and then holding half trigger move the camera slightly towards the subject ... of course it doesn't work with continuous AF I guess ... don't use that so I don't know

Interesting idea that I will try. I usually try to get the camera to focus part way in by use of an edge in the subject.. That's often feasible on m 4/3 as the focus area is relatively large. Must admit I just when clunk click on the rose shot. All the excitement of a new lens.

John
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[ajohnw]

I happened on a sigma achromatic close up lens that fits it - ultra cheap. I suspect it's only a bit over 1 dioptre. This is a full frame reduction with no cropping from a truly so so image. It was moving around too much and I have a feeling that my usual macro set up's focus is a bit more agile but the position was awkward so may be me wobbling about.

Any idea what this is? Seems to have a very flexible body.



John
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[ajohnw]

Weather not really suitable so just took some tests shots with it. Not much PP on any of them from SOOC jpg's.

Flare - not too bad I feel. - sun behind very light mist / cloud.



14mm



100mm



A couple of shots like this one were iffy. Could be lighting but lack the bite I would get with say the 75-300mm lens



Not much wrong with this one though, but Robin is not keen on the grass round here



Distortion - I'm going to test this more carefully as I feel it's a little odd



John
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[Manfred M]

Having just spent two months shooting a lot of images with a similar focal length lens (the Panny 14-140mm) on a mFT body I can appreciate the versatility of this type of lens. It's smallish and light (coupled with a compact and light camera body), so it is easy to carry and always available without having to fumble through a lens change or having a second camera body around.

[ajohnw]

There seems to be very little to choose optically between the Panasonic and Olympus lenses Manfred. This pick of the bunch might have been the Leica one but only made for 4/3. I did have the Olympus 18-180mm which actually was pretty good but I wasn't keen on the bulk.

I'm gong to have to edit the post.. The 150mm one is actually 100mm. I must have framed the end of the building. Silly really given the rest,

This one is 150mm as is the other one of Llywelyn - I think. The exif has gone on that one. Oly have changed the way they show rotation and my software isn't happy with it so have to rotate and the exif currently goes.



I have a couple of others but they look initially as if there is a focus problem. Worrying as some one apparently from Olympus or something to do with them commented on Dpreview that SOME lenses were going to work better than others.

John
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[ajohnw]

This is full resolution crop at 150mm. Slight curve applied and 3 rad sharpening at a moderate level which cleans it up a little. I'd guess this shows resolution problems but next time I think I will use focus check to make sure it is focused correctly as one of a goat and another of a lama in the same field were NVG.



John
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[Shadowman]

I've never seen that type of distortion with my 14-42mm lens and it was the type of distortion I was searching for. I also have the 20mm Panasonic lens and still no distortion. I'm aware of the crop sensor effect on wide angle lenses so I wasn't too surprised.

Nice captures, the only one I would have suggested making a change to would be the first image with the sun flare, just a step to the left to put most of the sun behind the monolith would have made for a nicer presentation.

[Manfred M]

There seems to be very little to choose optically between the Panasonic and Olympus lenses Manfred. This pick of the bunch might have been the Leica one but only made for 4/3.

Unfortunately, there only seem to be prime lenses that are Leica branded mFT ones. At this point I can't see investing in any more glass for the mFT format.

The only advantage it has over my Nikon gear are size and weight, so it will come with me when this is the over-riding consideration.

[ajohnw]

I've never seen that type of distortion with my 14-42mm lens and it was the type of distortion I was searching for. I also have the 20mm Panasonic lens and still no distortion. I'm aware of the crop sensor effect on wide angle lenses so I wasn't too surprised.

Nice captures, the only one I would have suggested making a change to would be the first image with the sun flare, just a step to the left to put most of the sun behind the monolith would have made for a nicer presentation.

I wanted to make the lens flare John. I did take one as suggested but the sky was blown away. HDR might have coped with the situation. It was around mid day so even with the sun behind it there would have been a lot of back lighting. I look at it and wonder about the best way to take a photograph each time we pass through.

I did try one semi seriously but a lot of the mist had to be removed. The mist was there before we had lunch. It's the remains of a keep. The village it's in used to be on a major sheep drive route from Wales to England that now has the A40 running along it.



The distortion is a fact of life one wide to long zooms on all formats, M 4/3 may be a touch worse but ... not so sure.

John
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