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 Designed for DSLR owners whose 18–55mm kit lenses are neither long nor close-focusing enough, Tamron’s new 55–200mm macro zoom (85–310mm equivalent) has a completely new formulation: a low-dispersion glass element to control color fringing, and the Tamron hybrid lens-mount of high-impact plastic molded around a core of stainless steel. Tamron says this is 70% lighter than all-metal mounts, helping make this lens the lightest, and most compact, of Tamron’s three Di II (digital only) zooms. It’s also the least expensive and has the greatest magnifying power.
Hands On: Matte black, with a gold band and a very broad, ribbed, and rubberized zoom ring, the lens is significantly lighter than Sigma’s 1.09-pound digital-only 55–200mm, and nearly identical to Nikon’s in weight and dimensions. The construction seems more durable than usual with sub-$200 glass. The zoom ring has a smooth turning action; the same applies to the too-narrow (but well-damped) manual-focus ring. The AF action is noisy and somewhat sluggish, but the system is accurate, with very little searching in open shade on our test camera, Canon’s EOS 20D. Barrel markings are limited to six focal lengths.
In the Lab: SQF tests at 55- and 105mm were in the Excellent range, indicating superior sharpness. Performance dipped to Very Good at 200mm—about average for a tele econo-zoom. DxO Analyzer 2.0 tests showed only Slight pincushion distortion at the mid and long focal lengths (0.27% and 0.25% at 105- and 200mm, respectively), with even better results at 55mm (0.04% barrel distortion). That’s considered Imperceptible, and overall good news for anyone needing (relatively) distortion-free linear reproduction. We found only insignificant light falloff in the corners at all apertures and focal lengths. This very strong showing hints that, in a pinch, Tamron’s “digital only” 55–200mm might be usable on a 35mm camera—if stopped way down and used only at the long end of the zoom range. At the close-focus distance of 36 inches, magnification ratios range from 1:11.4 at 55mm to a strong 1:3.2 at 200mm.
Conclusion: Favorably priced and very close-focusing at all focal lengths, with an above-average (for the class) top mag ratio, this light and compact tele zoom is good for budding portraitists, and weekend nature or eBay shooters who want to be close enough to adjust their small subjects.
Specifications:
55–200mm (55.94–192.05mm tested), f/4–5.6 (f/4.04–5.59 tested), 13 elements in 9 groups. Focusing turns 100 degrees counterclockwise. Zoom ring turns 80 degrees counterclockwise. Focal lengths marked at 55-, 70-, 85-, 100-, 135-, and 200mm.
Diagonal view angle: 28–7 degrees.
Weight: 0.69 lb.
Filter size: 52mm.
Mounts: Canon AF, Konica Minolta AF-D, Nikon AF-D.
Included: Lenshood.
List price: $282.
Street price: $190.
Full Lens test download:
Click to download full lens test - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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