[Yes] For years I avoided Tamron lenses, since they seemed 'second best' and 'unsexy' compared to the Sony GM lenses or brands like Leica and Zeiss. I just couldn't get excited about buying a Tamron lens.

But this lens has completely changed my initial impression of the brand.

The image quality is absolutely superb. Not only are images tack-sharp, but the bokeh has a very pleasant character to it. Images have more of a 'prime look' than I was expecting from a zoom lens.

Also, the size and weight are extraordinary, given that the closest competition, the Sony 70-200 GM f2.8 OSS II, is 190 grams heavier (which is also impressive). The Tamron is also 156.5mm long, versus the Sony at 200mm. It's amazing that Tamron has packed such great image quality into such a small package.


One of my favorite features is the close focusing distance. You can focus up to 0.3 meters away! At 70mm, this means you can do macro-ish photos. I was able to sell my rarely-used macro lens since most of my macro needs are easily covered by this lens, especially if I crop into the image using Super 35 mode. The Sony 70-200 GM, on the other hand, can focus at 0.4 meters, which is also very good but noticeably inferior to the Tamron. The real-world difference is significant.



Are there negatives? Well, I prefer the overall aesthetics of the Sony lens. The Tamron looks fine but isn't going to win any design contests. Also, the image stabilization of the Tamron doesn't seem to play well with my Sony A7RV body - when both the lens and camera have stabilization turned on, the image in the viewfinder jiggles slightly when I take a photo. This doesn't affect the photo negatively at all, but neither does it seem 'normal.' It makes me a little concerned that the stabilization of the lens may be 'stressing' the camera somewhat. Other than this quibble, however (which may be eventually resolved via firmware), this lens is absolutely stellar, and at an almost ridiculously low price.

[Full-Frame] Excellent lens. Image Stabilization is a great addition since I use it with FX6. Much better then the original in every way. It is sharp, fast and produces pleasing images with nice bokeh. The size of the lens is another plus, it is smaller then most 70-200 that I've seen.

[70 to 180mm] This is the best lens for the money!!!! I absolutely am blown away

[Full-Frame] Glad I brought this lens. I’ve used it for baseball photography. The f2 comes in handy in low light, nice background blur. Super quick focus very happy. Would recommend.

[Yes] Wanted to get this lens ever since it was introduced. Love the styling compared to the original and the image quality is top-notch. Focuses very fast on my A7III. Overall a great fit for any A7 body.

[f/2.8] We originally bought this lens to use with a Sony A74 for portrait shots and video. We like the image it produces and the versatility of the zoom to change focal lengths on the fly. Tamron makes a quality product, comparable with those at a higher price point (which we own). We have since then purchased two additional lenses for use with Sony FX6 cameras use for live production in a house of worship.

[70 to 180mm] I am 100% happy with this lens so far.
I tried out several telephoto zooms in the B&H showroom and thought the 70-180 G2 was the best mix of features, quality and cost. (I did not try the Sony 70-200 GM ii.)

Positives:
In the field, it handles well, focuses quickly, is light and compact to carry.
Image quality is excellent with the Sony A7RIV-- you can count the dog's eyelashes in the photo shot from six feet and you can count every brick in the factory wall from a quarter-mile away.
I have not used image stabilization often but it appears to work very well.
I do not see much deterioration in image quality at the edges and corners.

Negatives:
I do see some vignetting and rectilinear distortion in RAW images, but not a lot, and nothing that the processing software can't clear right up.
The lens has struggled a bit to focus in dim low-contrast scenes; I don't think it has more trouble than other lenses do in similar situations.
The lens extends when zooming; ideally I would like an internal zoom mechanism, but not at the likely cost in money, weight and length.
Focus mode and image stabilization are controlled through the camera menu, which I don't mind but some photographers may consider a drawback.

[Full-Frame] So happy I got this lens. Delivers most of the punch you'd get from Sony's 70-200 f/2.8 GM lens, but at less than half the price and light enough to carry around.

[2.6 to 4.7x] Love this lens! Never leaves my camera

[70 to 180mm] I love this lense. I’ve had it for 3 months now and it’s really lightweight for telephoto. I’ve used it for wedding, sports, and nature photography/video and it’s great.