Tamron 28-300mm F4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

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The Tamron 28-300mm F4-7.1 Di III VC VXD ($899) is a good example of an all-in-one zoom, a type of lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths in order to capture scenes as varied as landscapes, portraits, wildlife, and macros. Its barrel uses quality plastics and is fully weather sealed, plus it includes responsive linear autofocus and optical stabilization, features missing from Tamron's previous effort, the 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. The 28-300mm's optics are not as sharp or bright as the older lens, however, so despite its upgrades and longer reach, we continue to recommend the 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 as our Editors' Choice all-in-one zoom for full-frame Sony cameras.

Design: Full Weather Protection Is a Plus for Travel

The 28-300mm covers a 10.7x zoom ratio, a big range that goes from wide angle to telephoto in an instant. Despite its range, the lens isn't too big to carry. It weighs just 1.3 pounds and is relatively compact at its shortest, about 5.0 by 3.0 inches (HD). The size and zoom power comes with a cost: dim optics. The lens's f/4-7.1 f-stop makes it more appropriate for use in daylight or brightly lit interiors. You'll want a fast prime or f/2.8 zoom for better results in dim conditions, but you won't find any bright zooms that equal the 28-300mm in coverage.

Tamron's previous entry, the 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD, is around the same size (4.6 by 2.9 inches, 1.3 pounds), and gathers about twice as much light at comparable focal lengths, but doesn't include optical stabilization, and has less zoom power. Sony also makes an all-in-one, the FE 24-240mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (4.7 by 3.2 inches, 1.7 pounds), which proved to be a good performer when I reviewed it nearly a decade ago, but I can't speak to its performance with more recent cameras than the a7 II.

The 28-300mm telescopes out to reach longer focal lengths, and at 300mm, it's nearly twice as long as it is at 28mm. That is standard and expected for this class. Internal zooms that stay the same physical size at all focal lengths aren't unheard of, but they are typically upmarket choices and bulkier than alternatives like the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS Sports and Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS.

The 28-300mm meets the expectations in construction. Its polycarbonate barrel uses quality composite materials and internal seals to reduce the chances of dust and moisture ingress. Its front element has anti-smudge fluorine protection, which is welcome and still uncommon outside of high-end lenses. For creative filters, the zoom has a 67mm accessory thread, the same size Tamron uses for most of its line. A lens hood is included to add some protection from stray fingerprints, bumps, and flare.

Tamron makes lenses for a few different camera systems, but the 28-300mm F4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is available exclusively for Sony E-mount cameras. Its optics cover full-frame sensors, but since Sony uses the same mount for its crop sensor cameras, it is also compatible with APS-C sensor models. If you use the lens with an APS-C camera, it loses some of its wide-angle coverage but has a narrower view when zoomed in versus a full-frame camera. Because of that, we recommend the Tamron 18-300mm Di III-A VC VXD for use with Sony APS-C cameras instead.

Handling: Limited On-Barrel Control

Onboard controls are pretty basic for this lens, a contrast to the slew of toggles and buttons included on upper-echelon zooms like the Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G and the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD. The 28-300mm has the expected zoom and manual focus rings, plus a single function button. It's a basic layout, but not bad. My major gripe is that there's no AF/MF toggle switch on the lens.

The button follows your camera's settings by default. Sony cameras map it to autofocus lock (AF-L) by default, but allow you to remap it via the camera menu. You also have the option of adjusting its function using Tamron's Lens Utility desktop software and the lens's USB-C port if you prefer. The Tamron software includes some options that aren't built into Sony cameras, so you may find it useful. However, it can cause headaches as it leads to a lack of consistency in controls when moving from lens to lens.

Even so, the Lens Utility software is still worth a download. It supports firmware updates and lets you change the manual focus response between a linear or nonlinear curve. While I expect most creators who reach for this particular lens will stick to autofocus, it's a handy option to have for anyone who prefers manual focus. Linear response ties focus adjustment to rotation angle, while the nonlinear mode responds based on rotation speed. Which you prefer is a personal preference, though I'll say for photography, I like a nonlinear curve as it makes it easy to make both roughshod and fine focus adjustments, while videographers prefer a linear response so they can repeat the same focus shift across multiple takes of a scene. Focus breathing is minimal, too, which is good news if you want to use the lens for video, as you won't be distracted by a frame that blooms or shrinks when focus changes.

Autofocus: Speedy, Accurate VXD Motor

The 28-300mm uses Tamron's VXD focus tech, which leverages linear motors to deliver faster results than the older RXD focus drive that's inside its 28-200mm F2.8-5.6. I used the 28-300mm with the a7R IV for testing, and while the camera is far from Sony's latest or fastest, the combination proved quick enough to grab action shots at a college soccer match. If sports photography is your primary area of interest, zooms like the Tamron 50-400mm or the Tamron 150-500mm are better for bringing distant subjects into focus and softening backgrounds in the telephoto range, but the 28-300mm is useable in a pinch.

Autofocus slows down in dim light, however. The dim f-stop is to blame, as it simply doesn't cast enough light onto the sensor to achieve the same snappy results the lens provides during daylight hours. The only way around this is to buy a lens that gathers more light.

The lens includes optical stabilization (OIS), a feature that's missing from the older Tamron 28-200mm all-in-one. It's a good addition as even though Sony's full-frame line includes in-body image stabilization (IBIS), that type of tech isn't very effective at telephoto focal lengths. The 28-300mm's OIS is effective enough to support crisp handheld exposures at 1/8-second exposure time at the 300mm focal length. Plus, it provides a smoother, steadier picture to the camera's viewfinder, which translates into a more pleasing photographic experience versus telephotos that don't include optical stabilization. To compare, the 28-200mm requires at least a 1/20-second shutter speed to get clear results at 200mm, though to be fair, if you are photographing moving subjects, you'll want to use a shorter shutter speed to better stop motion with either lens.

Close focus is an important feature for an all-in-one lens, after all it is meant to be versatile. The 28-300mm focuses as close as 7.5 inches for 1:3.8 life-size reproduction at the 28mm focal length. This requires you to get pretty close to a subject for macro shots, which means you'll need to pay attention to any shadow the camera is casting on a subject. For more working distance, you'll want to swap out for a shorter zoom like the Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G OSS (1:2.6 reproduction at 70mm) or a dedicated prime like the Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art (1:1 reproduction).

Image Quality: Better at Wide Angles Than Zoomed

I paired the 28-300mm with the 60MP Sony a7R IV and Imatest software to check its performance in our test lab. The lens provides decent results, though it falls shy of the pixel-level sharpness we see from shorter zooms.

At 28mm f/4 it shows an excellent 4,600 lines in the central area of the frame, but soft edges bring the average score down to around 3,200 lines, a just-okay figure. Stopping down to a narrower aperture doesn't do much to move the needle. Zoom in a little bit and the 28-300mm shows sharper results, at 50mm f/5 it notches a very good 3,900 lines on average, with consistent enough resolution across the frame. Stopping down to f/8-11 brings the average up to around 4,200 lines, still in our very good range for the a7R IV.

Results drop off at 100mm f/6.3-8 (2,800-3,000 lines), just barely acceptable, but pick up to a very good 4,300 lines at f/11. Picture quality suffers more noticeably at 200mm f/7.1-11 (1,900-2,500 lines) and at 300mm f/7.1-11 (1,600-2,500 lines), with clearer details at f/16 (3,000 lines). So, while the lens delivers very good to excellent results at wide angles, it struggles to resolve fine detail when zoomed past 100mm.

Compare these results with the Tamron 28-200mm, which shows sharper central resolution at 28mm f/2.8 (5,200 lines), but similarly loses clarity toward the edges of the frame. The 28-200mm just about matches results at 50mmm f/3.5 (3,800 lines) and is better at 100mm f/4.5 (3,700 lines) and 200mm f/5.6 (3,000 lines). Its lack of stabilization is a detriment for sure, but brighter, sharper optics give it a win over the 28-300mm when it comes to resolving power and use in dimmer light. The 28-300mm's extra zoom power is a benefit, but based on these results we hope Tamron will turn its attention to an updated 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 with snappier focus motors and optical stabilization.

The 28-300mm relies on digital corrections to resolve distortion and deliver consistent brightness across the frame. These are transparent and automatic if you use your camera for JPGs or movies, but if you prefer to edit Raw images, you'll need to make sure to apply a correction profile. Popular processing software makes this a pretty simple process; I use Adobe Lightroom Classic as our standard developer for all camera and lens reviews, and its built-in profile does a fine job with the lens. If you opt not to enable the profile, however, you'll see barrel distortion at 28mm and pincushion distortion from 100-300mm, plus dim corners and edges throughout the zoom range. I don't see this as a bad thing, as the profiles are effective and common among lenses for mirrorless systems.

I'm quite happy with the 28-300mm's ability to resist flare. It handles backlit scenes like a champ, so you can use it for images with the sun or another bright light source behind your subject and enjoy good results. It's not a great choice for sunstar images, though. When stopped down to f/16-22, it draws small points of light with mushy tines. Wide-angle primes and shorter zooms are better if you want to get pictures with crisply defined sunstars.

The narrow aperture limits how much background blur (bokeh) you can coax out of the zoom, but it's capable of getting soft, defocused backdrops in the right situation, either when focusing close on a subject at wide angles or putting some distance between subject and backdrop when zoomed in. Its specular highlights show onion skin texture and defined, bright edges, a combination that leads to frenetic backdrops in some instances. Plus ,I see quite a bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA), which translates to purple and green color cast around bright highlights; you can see it clearly in the bright reflections on the surface of the water in the image below. Both bokeh and LoCA are situational concerns, you won't see them in every scene, and are mainly of concern to photographers with an artistic eye.

Verdict: Falls Short of Topping the 28-200mm

The Tamron 28-300mm F4-7.1 Di III VC VXD aims to improve upon the company's previous all-in-one zoom for Sony cameras, the 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. It partially succeeds, as its longer range, faster focus response, and optical stabilization are all strong marks in its favor. We expect compromises in optical performance in an all-in-one zoom, especially one that's as small and light as the 28-300mm, but we think there are a few too many here as resolution drops significantly at longer focal lengths, and its f-stop makes it less useful in dim light versus the Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6. Ultimately, the 28-200mm holds our Editors' Choice award in the category, as it remains the more fundamentally sound superzoom and undercuts the 28-300mm in price by $170.