4/24 - Birds, Babies,& BIFs: A6300 & Tamron 150-600mm

[zackiedawg]

Great shots as usual. The Tamron is impressively sharp at most focal lengths presented. Especially the 420mm shot with the Anhinga feeding. Where do you see a significant fall-off in sharpness with this lens? I've heard (and seen some examples) closer to 600mm it gets pretty soft on APS-C sensors. But what you've shown at 420mm is very impressive. Do you have any 500mm or 600mm examples? Thanks

I'll have to dig around to see if I have any on the A6300 at that focal length in good light. I've only had two chances to get outside in normal light and shoot this lens on the A6300, so I have to take whatever birds and wildlife I can get that day. My first test thread of the Tamron on the A6300 of some squirrels in my front yard were at 600mm F6.3, and I posted the 100% unresized crops - the caveat being they were straight JPGs out of camera at high ISOs...that thread was here: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57573627

But I do shoot this lens extensively on my A580 and have hundreds of shots at 600mm and virtually all apertures from wide open to F11 or so.

I've found that it's what I'd consider perfectly usable wide open even at 600mm, but if you want peak sharpness, it helps to just stop it down to F8 - from that point on at 600mm it can be quite sharp. Any lesser focal reach and it seems to be fine too - I don't have any qualms using the full range of the lens, both in focal and in aperture...ideally if shooting at 500-600mm I'll stop it down to F8 when the light permits, but if I have to go wide open, I will.