So far the Tamron 35-150 mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD has had just one direct rival, the Samyang AF 35-150 mm f/2-2.8 FE. Still our chart features also the reflex camera Tamron 35-150 mm with a slower aperture.
The tested Tamron and Samyang have very similar dimensions and weight but their constructions are hardly the same. They differ in the number of optical groups and the number and type of special elements inside.
In the photo below both these lenses are positioned side by side and we added the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar 2/50 to keep them company.
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The tested lens starts with a metal mount that contains contacts and a 32x24 mm frame. Inside that frame you see a rear element of the lens, 32 mm in diameter. The rear element moves and at 35 mm its convex part is situated about 0.5 cm under the frame; at 150 mm it hides inside the inner tube almost 2 cm deep. That tube is properly blackened and ribbed but in its upper part you can notice some fragments of a green electronic plate so you can't speak here about the lens being fully sealed.
The proper body of the lens is covered by black plastics and starts with an immobile, smooth ring on which you can find a silver stripe and a marking making an alignment with a camera easier, along with information that the lens was produced in China. The ring increases its diameter very quickly and on its enlargened part you find an inscription with the name and parameters of the lens, its filter diameter, amounting to 82 mm, and information that the lens was designed in Japan. In this place you can also find an USB C port that is used to calibrate the lens with the help of Tamron Lens Utility software. By the way, that port made us start wondering how long such a solution will actually work, taking into account the fact that the lens might be used in different conditions with an unprotected hole on its barrel.
A zoom ring, as wide as 33 mm, is the next part of the lens. It is equipped with a comfortable rubber ribbing and also with focal length markings at 35, 50, 70, 85, 100, 135, and 150 mm. It moves quite smoothly and is properly damped although you can notice that its resistance is a tad lower in the 35-70 mm range and then it increases a bit.
Further on you see a smooth, immobile part of the lens, as wide as 26 mm, with three round FOCUS LOCK buttons that are programmable. Between them there is an inlet with the focusing mechanism working mode options, AF/MF and the CUSTOM 1/2/3 button. On the other side you can also find the LOCK button that is used to block the zoom ring at 35 mm. It might be sporadically usefull – in our opinion the tube doesn't have any focus creep tendencies under the influence of gravity. Of course you can force it to produce such an effect but you have to shake it quite vigorously.
A manual focus ring with a diameter of 33 mm, is the next part of the lens. It is almost completely covered by textured rubber and because of that you can't find any distance scale or depth of field scale on it. The ring is a focus-by-wire construction that moves smoothly and is properly damped. Its focus throw depends on both the focal length and the speed of movement. At the 35 mm focal length, when you turn it quickly, you are able to cover the whole range with 70 degrees; when you move it slowly you might need over 190 degrees. At the maximum focal length and with quick turning you get a value of about 110 degrees, with a slower turning it might be even 470 degrees. It is a very good approach – in each situation you are able to achieve such values that are needed.
When you move the zoom ring you also make extend a homogeneous, plastic tube and it ends with a front element system. During that operation the length of the lens increases by about 46 mm.
The front element is flat, with a diameter of 70 mm, surrounded by a non-rotating filter thread, 82 mm in diameter, and a hood mount.
When it comes to optical construction you deal here with 21 elements positioned in 15 groups. The producers weren't skimpy with special kinds of elements - inside you can find as many as four low dispersion LD glass and three aspherical ones. There is also a round aperture with nine blades that can be closed down to a value from f/16 to f/22 depending on the focal length you apply.
It's worth noticing that the construction of the Tamron is resistant to humidity and its front element is covered by a hydrophobic coating that protects it from droplets of water, dirt, oil, and fingerprints, making it also easier to clean.
Buyers get in the box with the lens: both caps, and a petal-type hood.
