The Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di III VXD is a new venture for the veteran lens manufacturer but it’s not entirely without precedent. With a zoom range stretching from a standard focal length to super-telephoto reach, Sigma launched a 50-500mm all the way back in 2001, later updating it to the digitally optimized 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM and then adding optical stabilization in 2010. Nicknamed the ‘Bigma’, it was a weighty beast at 1,840g but the 2018 replacement Sigma 60-600 mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is considerably heavier at 2,700g. Sigma has also gone on to launch a newer 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS in Sony E and Leica L mount options for mirrorless cameras, which weighs in at 2,485g.
Tamron’s 50-400mm is naturally more limited in telephoto reach but is a much more manageable lens. A comparative lightweight at 1,115g, it’s much more viable for handheld shooting and trekking into the wilds, while still giving a standard field of view at the short end of its zoom range, and super-telephoto power at the long end. It’s therefore ideal for action, sports and wildlife photography, where you might need to switch between standard and long focal lengths without the risk of missing shots due to changing the lens on your camera. And it’s also much more affordable than the Sigma 60-600mm, at about two-thirds the price.
