Trying Out the New Lens

Vaughn McMillan

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As I mentioned in the Friday thread this week, I got a new (to me) Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 zoom lens for my camera, something I've been wanting for years. It was very lightly used, and Adorama was having an early Black Friday sale last week, so I got it for about 70% off the retail price. (This week, they're selling the same model used for about 25% off the retail price.) In hindsight, I could have bought a compact camera with a larger optical zoom range for about the same amount of money, but I'm old school and like using my +10 year old Nikon D5000 DSLR.

Anyway, here are a few test shots I took this afternoon.

Sandia Peak from my front yard, about 6.3 miles away according to the distance measuring tool on Google maps. This is with the zoom at 150mm.
DSC_6394 - 1024.jpg

Here's the same shot with the zoom at 600mm. Not crystal clear by any means, but there's over 6 miles of atmosphere between here and there.
DSC_6393 - 1024.jpg

A random bush in the yard at 150mm zoom.
DSC_6392 - 1024.jpg

Same bush at 600mm zoom.
DSC_6391 - 1024.jpg

One of our roadrunners sunning itself in the yard across the street at 600mm zoom.
DSC_6420T - 1024.jpg

And the roadrunner's mate in our yard, in the shade. I was probably about 25-30 feet away. The zoom was somewhere in the middle...I just adjusted it to frame the shot.
DSC_6421T - 1024.jpg

And a full-sized sample from the above photo. Pretty good detail for shooting in the shade.
DSC_6421TC.jpg

All in all I think I'll be happy with this lens. Next up: Either elk hunting at Valles Caldera or bird hunting at Bosque de Apache. Either place should yield some good photos. :thumb:
 
Awesome shots.

Tamron and Sigma are really good lenses for a LOT less money than the brand name, in my case Canon. I bought a new Canon 24--70 F2.8 and paid top dollar. I am sorry I did that. I then bought a used 70-200 Sigma f2.8 and was amazed at the quality. Canon - Sigma is equivalent quality - to me, a novice - .

I need to save up a 150 - 600, but it will be used and not Canon.

The closeup of the roadrunner in your yard is worthy of a photo contest entry for sure.

Did you use a tripod?
 
Those are sharp, I've not bought anything but Nikkor lens...looks like I need to consider one like that. Nice!
The Tamron and Sigma brands were recommended to me a few years back by a co-worker who did pro photography on the side. Their consumer-level stuff is very good. My two other (smaller) lenses are both Nikkors, but the new Tamron is definitely on par with them.

...Did you use a tripod?
I used a tripod for the mountain and plant shots, although I tried a few of the mountain that were handheld, and if I was careful they came out as good. (I just didn't have any 150-600mm comparison shots that were handheld.) The roadrunner pics were done while resting my hands on the 4' tall wall around our front courtyard. In reading reviews of the Tamron lens, I saw quite a few nice "birds in flight" shots that were done handheld. At over 4 pounds, it's a heavy sucker, so I suspect most of my use will be with a tripod.
 
That is amazing! Our Practical Science class had a section where we developed film and created pictures. I loved it but never fell into that vortex.
I took a photography class for one semester of my senior year in high school. We only shot in black & white, but we developed our own film and photos. I learned a lot about f-stops and apertures that year, and I think that's one reason I still like using an SLR-style camera.
 
As I mentioned in the Friday thread this week, I got a new (to me) Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 zoom lens for my camera, something I've been wanting for years. It was very lightly used, and Adorama was having an early Black Friday sale last week, so I got it for about 70% off the retail price. (This week, they're selling the same model used for about 25% off the retail price.) In hindsight, I could have bought a compact camera with a larger optical zoom range for about the same amount of money, but I'm old school and like using my +10 year old Nikon D5000 DSLR.

Anyway, here are a few test shots I took this afternoon.

Sandia Peak from my front yard, about 6.3 miles away according to the distance measuring tool on Google maps. This is with the zoom at 150mm.
View attachment 118809

Here's the same shot with the zoom at 600mm. Not crystal clear by any means, but there's over 6 miles of atmosphere between here and there.
View attachment 118810

A random bush in the yard at 150mm zoom.
View attachment 118811

Same bush at 600mm zoom.
View attachment 118812

One of our roadrunners sunning itself in the yard across the street at 600mm zoom.
View attachment 118813

And the roadrunner's mate in our yard, in the shade. I was probably about 25-30 feet away. The zoom was somewhere in the middle...I just adjusted it to frame the shot.
View attachment 118814

And a full-sized sample from the above photo. Pretty good detail for shooting in the shade.
View attachment 118815

All in all I think I'll be happy with this lens. Next up: Either elk hunting at Valles Caldera or bird hunting at Bosque de Apache. Either place should yield some good photos. :thumb:
Who was that waving in the second picture?
 
Took this photo to show a friend. This is why I'll be using a tripod most of the time. When there's a tripod mount on the lens itself, I think that's meant as a hint, lol. This is in the "short" configuration. Zoomed out it's another 5" or so longer. (The lens hood adds another 4" or so, too.)

Tamron Lens and Nikon 1024.jpg
 
Change of subject; but I see what I believe to be an Alaskan ulu leaning against the wooden quilt pattern cutting board? Am I just seeing things?
Good eye. The ulu is one my dad bought on a trip to Alaska. I inherited it after he passed away. And the cutting board was my first (and failed) attempt at making a quilt pattern board years ago. For one, it was too thin. But the real failure was that the quilt pattern is all end grain, but the border is face grain. The first time the frame expanded a bit due to moisture, the quilt pattern cracked.
 
That is a Nikon thing of beauty.

Some day, I just gotta show off my Canon 90D with Sigma 70-200 with 2X extender and hood and with additional battery grip. It's a Beast for sure.

Love it
The Nikon is pretty outdated but it still takes decent photos. I'd love to have more resolution and some decent video capabilities, but I don't see making that kind of investment any time soon. It's sort of a sign of the times when my phone has better photo and video resolution than my DSLR, lol.

Your D90 definitely sounds like a beast. I wouldn't be able to resist telling people the battery grip is a motor drive. :D
 
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