Tamron 150-600 Gen 1: Hi I have chance to buy a Tamron 150-600mm Gen 1 w/hood and filter and tripod ring. Seller used in like new condition. Price 600.00. I am going to look at it...

JW from PA

Hi I have chance to buy a Tamron 150-600mm Gen 1 w/hood and filter and tripod ring. Seller used in like new condition. Price 600.00. I am going to look at it today, any thoughts? Thanks. JW.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

I have one and like it very much. It is my go-to lens for wildlife and birding. Take your camera along and check it out. Enjoy...

JW from PA

Thank you, anything I should look for and is that a good price. Thanks. JW.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Generally, if the lens looks "as new" - and there is no apparent abuse - it should be good to go... Question the owner on how the lens was stored. I lived in Philly for a few years and remember the humidity so storage is important. Look for dings/dents - scratches and/or cracks. Open the aperture all the way and look through the lens for mold or mildew.
If possible - take a laptop to display the shots you take with it - look for any distortions, abnormalities or dark spots which could indicate dirt or mold inside the lens that your visual inspection didn't catch.
Overall, I think it's a great lens which will give you good results...

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

You didn't mention the camera system, so I looked up the Tamron 150-600mm Gen 1 for Nikon on KEH.com. They have one in excellent condition for $818 and one in bargain condition for $663. So if the one you are looking at truly is in like new condition, it's a good deal. Just make sure it's fully functional before buying and be careful where you meet as it could just be a setup for a robbery.

JW from PA

Thank you both for your input, it’s greatly appreciated. My camera is a canon 5d mk iii. I am meeting the seller in a public place.
Thanks again, JW.

Donkas1946 Loc: Southern NH

I had the same set up and found it to be very good until I tried the gen II of this he same lens and when used on the same body found it much better. I sold I for the II but the price is good I sold mine for $600 and was truly like new.

wireloose

I had the Canon mount Gen 1, returned it as the autofocus was slow and not that consistent. At the time I had the 5D3. There might have been a firmware upgrade - that’s worth checking. Gen II is much better. If you can, check it on a moving subject

Donkas1946 Loc: Southern NH

wireloose wrote:

I had the Canon mount Gen 1, returned it as the autofocus was slow and not that consistent. At the time I had the 5D3. There might have been a firmware upgrade - that’s worth checking. Gen II is much better. If you can, check it on a moving subject

Had the same problem that’s why I went to the gen ii

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I have a Generation ! and it's fine. The first generation will not work with the Canon R cameras with out getting adjusted at the factory. This may be a factor for you.

dandev Loc: Enumclaw, WA

I was disappointed with the Gen 1. Sold it and got a Canon 100-400.
I heard the Gen 2 was much better.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

JW from PA wrote:

Hi I have chance to buy a Tamron 150-600mm Gen 1 w/hood and filter and tripod ring. Seller used in like new condition. Price 600.00. I am going to look at it today, any thoughts? Thanks. JW.

I have the Tamron 150-600mm Gen 1 lens with Sony A-mount that I bought new in 2014. I am pleased with the results. I do find it to be somewhat sharper if I stop down a bit.

No longer have an A-mount body, but still using the lens on E-Mount bodies with an adapter.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Don't want to throw gas on the fire but I have had two Tamron super zooms for Nikons. Didn't like or keep either one. Both very poor beyond about 400-450mm. Nothing against Tamron, I have wide angles and primes that I like but will not buy another big zoom from them. Your mileage may vary!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Retired CPO wrote:

Don't want to throw gas on the fire but I have had two Tamron super zooms for Nikons. Didn't like or keep either one. Both very poor beyond about 400-450mm. Nothing against Tamron, I have wide angles and primes that I like but will not buy another big zoom from them. Your mileage may vary!

Yes, mileage may vary.

Here is a farmhouse at 3.5 miles, on a very quiet atmosphere day, using a Sony A99 and the Tamron 150-600mm at 600mm. ISO was 500 and shot at f8 on a tripod. It is very rare that the atmosphere is quiet like this, but once in a while it does happen.

The 2nd shot is a crop of that image and then resized by 4x using Gigapixel AI.

Note: I have tried this shot on different days, and the atmospherics just don't allow for a repeat of the conditions seen that day.

Original plus processed with DxO

(Download)

Cropped and resized 4x with Gigapixel AI

(Download)

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Retired CPO wrote:

Don't want to throw gas on the fire but I have had two Tamron super zooms for Nikons. Didn't like or keep either one. Both very poor beyond about 400-450mm. Nothing against Tamron, I have wide angles and primes that I like but will not buy another big zoom from them. Your mileage may vary!

I used a Tamron 150-600. Still have many other of the better Tamron lenses for macro and 15-30 zoom. Most testers of the 150-600 warn not to use the lens for 600, maybe not 500 due to less sharpness. Read some reviews from experienced testers/organizations.