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I feel like I must be doing something wrong 70-300 VC Tamron vs. 70-200 2.8 VRI Nikon

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redtorozts

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I rented the 70-200 Nikon today for a wedding tomrrow. I was acclimating myself to the feel of the lens again (I occasionally rent this lens but it has been over a year). I figured the extra stop would help with the people movement.

As I was snapping a couple of shots in my office, it seemed to me something was different.

I own the 70-300 Tamron bought new last year. I've been very pleased with it (i know there are endless debates about this lens, but lets assume for now it works well).

The VC seemed to work better than the VR especially in the horizontal plane. Maybe the difference is the fact the Nikon is a rental and maybe abused more? Also could be that the Nikon is far heavier and harder to hold steady, but I thought the heavier lenses tended to be more stable hand held.

So I shot a couple of comparisons. These are at the same camera (D700) same aperture (F5.6)/SS (1/13) handheld but braced, locked white balance (incand), same ISO (6400), same Zoom (200mm), same focus point (the selector button on camera). Converted SOOC with ViewNX.

The Nikon color is off, and the detail seems to be better with the Tamron.

EDIT: I just repeated the test with my D7000, with similar results.

What think you?

Tamron 70-300 VC
Tamron 70-300 VC

Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRI
Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRI
 
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Solution
Shotcents
I own the 70-300 VC and the 70-200 VRII and previously the 70-200 VR1

The VC on the Tamron is superior even to my VRII and by an OBVIOUS margin. Anyone who says otherwise does not own both. The VC is so good that I get better results at 300mm than the Nikon at 200mm at times!

The Nikon is shockingly sharp at 200mm wide open and that's where the Tamron falls well behind by design. Very different lenses and very good at what they do.

Robert
As others have stated, it looks like motion blur. Maybe the VR is not working right.

One trick I learned with mitigating shake with long or heavy lenses and cameras is to hold the system as follows:

Take your left hand and put it on your right shoulder.

Lift your left elbow up so that it is in the same plane as your shoulders.

Now raise your camera and lens with your right hand and cradle it in the gap made with your left arm and the lens will sit on your left elbow.

Keep your right elbow tucked down near your ribs.

With a little practice you will find this stance, although awkward at first, really improves your rigidity.
 
aldridgec said:
I rented the 70-200 Nikon today for a wedding tomrrow. I was acclimating myself to the feel of the lens again (I occasionally rent this lens but it has been over a year). I figured the extra stop would help with the people movement.

As I was snapping a couple of shots in my office, it seemed to me something was different.

I own the 70-300 Tamron bought new last year. I've been very pleased with it (i know there are endless debates about this lens, but lets assume for now it works well).

The VC seemed to work better than the VR especially in the horizontal plane. Maybe the difference is the fact the Nikon is a rental and maybe abused more? Also could be that the Nikon is far heavier and harder to hold steady, but I thought the heavier lenses tended to be more stable hand held.

So I shot a couple of comparisons. These are at the same camera (D700) same aperture (F5.6)/SS (1/13) handheld but braced, locked white balance (incand), same ISO (6400), same Zoom (200mm), same focus point (the selector button on camera). Converted SOOC with ViewNX.

The Nikon color is off, and the detail seems to be better with the Tamron.

EDIT: I just repeated the test with my D7000, with similar results.

What think you?

Tamron 70-300 VC
Tamron 70-300 VC

Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRI
Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRI
Click to expand...
Interesting comparison. Check your PMs.

msc
 
Janoch said:
aldridgec said:
Janoch said:
aldridgec said:
I rented the 70-200 Nikon today for a wedding tomorrow...
Click to expand...
That's where my heart stood still for a second... :-D

And +1 one for the open card door. One day, it *will* break for you. By accident of course!

But yes, the VC on that Tamron is truly great. Almost as good as the one in the Nikkor 70-200mm f/4!

Besides that, I can't really contribute with anything not already said. The colour shift is most probably caused by lighting, has been seen before.

Happy Shooting tomorrow! And do bring the Tamron with you! :)
Click to expand...
Why the beat skipping with the rental?...
Click to expand...
No, no, no! Renting is good! Best to touch and try before buy! 100% agree! :-D

It's more the getting new gear one day before a major event...
Click to expand...
Gotcha. Yeah that part is true, but I've rented them before and there's a finite amount of time you can rent it for.

BTW so far the shots in actual usage were fine, and comparable to what I normally get with that lens. It was a vèry very small short ceremony so I didn't have time to play with the two lenses in actual usage.
 
user_name said:
As others have stated, it looks like motion blur. Maybe the VR is not working right.

One trick I learned with mitigating shake with long or heavy lenses and cameras is to hold the system as follows:

Take your left hand and put it on your right shoulder.

Lift your left elbow up so that it is in the same plane as your shoulders.

Now raise your camera and lens with your right hand and cradle it in the gap made with your left arm and the lens will sit on your left elbow.

Keep your right elbow tucked down near your ribs.

With a little practice you will find this stance, although awkward at first, really improves your rigidity.
Click to expand...
I've used that merhod before. I also like pulling the camera into my left shoulder. In this case I was sitting in a chair with my elbow on the arm rest (it was an office chair so it wasn't rock solid). I could see the difference through the viewfinder in the stabilization. I always felt the VC was very good and this would support that impression.
 
What happens when you turn the VC off?

The VC can also try to compensate for shutter/mirror slap and actually make the image worse.

Orienting the camera in portrait mode will exasperate the mirror slap and shutter slap.
 
user_name said:
What happens when you turn the VC off?

The VC can also try to compensate for shutter/mirror slap and actually make the image worse.

Orienting the camera in portrait mode will exasperate the mirror slap and shutter slap.
Click to expand...
I'm sure it would be horrible. There's no way I could hold this setup at 1/13 and get a good image. Besides the comparison is what I was going for.
 
I own the 70-300 VC and the 70-200 VRII and previously the 70-200 VR1

The VC on the Tamron is superior even to my VRII and by an OBVIOUS margin. Anyone who says otherwise does not own both. The VC is so good that I get better results at 300mm than the Nikon at 200mm at times!

The Nikon is shockingly sharp at 200mm wide open and that's where the Tamron falls well behind by design. Very different lenses and very good at what they do.

Robert
 
Solution
Though this is a D7100 and D5300 the sensors are pretty close. Comparison at 200mm and F8 with a water tower that I am now using to compare sharpness for telephotos. as you will see they are pretty close.



Tamron



Tamron 100% crop





Nikon



Nikon at 100%

 
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Slightly off topic but relevant to some of your replies concerning the memory card door, I believe you can configure your camera so that the camera release will not work unless there is a memory card in the camera. I know that is the case with my D300. For the D300, you go to the Custom Setting menu (pencil icon), then go to Controls, and set "No memory card?" to LOCK. Works like a charm every time and certainly eliminates any risk of breaking off your memory card door, which doesn't look like it was designed to handle a lot of abuse in the "open" position.

Mike
 
StillLearning said:
Though this is a D7100 and D5300 the sensors are pretty close. Comparison at 200mm and F8 with a water tower that I am now using to compare sharpness for telephotos. as you will see they are pretty close.

Tamron



Tamron 100% crop



Nikon



Nikon at 100%

Click to expand...
With the exposures so different, I have a hard time comparing. The Tamron's shot seems almost blown and is lacking the details of the more under or correctly exposed Nikon shot. It is the same place, which is good, but not the same day. One day maybe I will rent the vr and put this mystery to bed--for me, at least.

--
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brev99

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Lowered the exposure on the Tamron crop.





 
Member said:
Slightly off topic but relevant to some of your replies concerning the memory card door, I believe you can configure your camera so that the camera release will not work unless there is a memory card in the camera. I know that is the case with my D300. For the D300, you go to the Custom Setting menu (pencil icon), then go to Controls, and set "No memory card?" to LOCK. Works like a charm every time and certainly eliminates any risk of breaking off your memory card door, which doesn't look like it was designed to handle a lot of abuse in the "open" position.

Mike
Click to expand...
 
Why not put a clean card in as soon as you take the used card out? Routines defeat carelessness.
 
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