Tamron Sp 70-200mm F/2.8 DI VC USD G2 Lens

TESTING OUT TAMRON’S NEW TELEPHOTO ZOOM AT MARDI GRAS.

- Ron Leach

ONE LENS THAT SHOULD BE IN THE ARSENAL of every photographer is a moderate telephoto zoom like a 70-200mm. Lenses in this category offer a great compromise between power, mobility, and versatility. They enable you to get in tight on nearby subjects, and unlike longer telephoto zooms, moderate telephotos are relatively lightweight, compact, and easy to carry.

If you spend a bit extra to get a moderate telephoto zoom with a fast maximum aperture like the new Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A025), you’ll have the added benefit of being able to shoot hand-held under lowlight conditions. The f/2.8 maximum aperture is also valuable for separating your main subject from distracting background elements.

I was fortunate to get my hands on the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 just in time to photograph this year’s Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, Louisiana—both during the day and at night. I typically use a wide-angle lens to shoot the Mardi Gras festivities, so the longer reach of this new zoom provided an opportunity to get in tight and make images that were different than those I captured at the parades in the past.

VERSATILE FOCAL RANGE 

As mentioned above, zoom lenses in the 70-200mm range offer great versatility. At the long end they enable you to capture subjects from a distance, and at the short end they’re even useful for portraits. While the new Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 doesn’t qualify as a macro lens, its reproduction ratio of 1:6.1 does let you photograph small objects from a comfortable minimum focusing distance of 34.4 inches.