Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

The 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro from Tamron has a fairly robust, chunky design, which is surprising considering it weighs in at just 435g.

Bearing in mind that the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro is tquite a budget lens at only £115, it still feels pretty good in the hand. There’s no anti-shake system available, which isn’t a problem for some Sony and Pentax users, but something to bear in mind if you’re shooting on a Canon or Nikon D-SLR and want that extra flexibility in low-light conditions.
There’s a 1:2 Macro mode available between 180-300mm, but it’s not true 1:1 macro that dedicated macro lenses offer, although it’s still a handy feature. There’s no built-in AF motor (except for the Nikon version, which is designed to function on the D40/D40x/D60), and the Pentax-mount version we tested was quite noisy in use.
Focus speed was good, however – it’s not the quickest, but it put in a commendable performance, only hunting occasionally. It’s a solid option, especially when you consider the attractive price.


Specification
Street price: £115
Maximum aperture: f/4-5.6
Minimum aperture: f/32
Minimum focus: 0.95m
Filter size: 62mm
Image stabilisation: No
Dimensions/weight: 77x116.5mm/435g
Mount: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax
Website: www.tamron.co.uk