Quick Take: Tamron 14-150mm f3.5-5.8 Di III Lens for Micro Four Thirds

I’m holding a new Tamron 14-150mm f3.5-5.8 Di III Lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras and I’m having a difficult time believing it delivers the equivalent zoom range of a 28-300mm. It’s small. But when I attach it to an Olympus OM-D and zoom, I’m soundly convinced.

By actual measurement the lens is but 3.2 inches long and weighs about 10 ounces (10.1 if you want to split hairs). It accepts common 52mm filters and comes with a flower-petal lens hood. BTW, team this up with an ultra-thin Cokin PURE Harmonie UV filter and you have a particularly handsome combination.

Although it focuses closer than 20 inches and delivers a magnification ratio of 1:3.8 (at 150mm), it’s not billed as a macro lens per se. However, I can tell you from using it, performance at the closest focus setting is phenomenal. It also has a circular diaphragm for beautiful bokeh.

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I’m trying to think of a reason why I’d ever remove this lens from my camera. Changing lenses less often means a) being ready to shoot pictures more often, b) reducing the number of times the sensor in my camera is exposed to airborne contaminants, and c) having fewer things to carry when I venture out. The zoom range is more than adequate for everything from street shooting to wildlife. And with the superlative, noise-free high ISO performance of today’s digital cameras, I can shoot at ISO 800 all day long and not be hindered by the lack of a faster f-stop.

These two shot of the Bucks County (Pennsylvania) Playhouse show both ends of the zoom range. Even on an obviously cloudy day, the Tamron 14-150 delivered a bright, sharp image.

(Editor's Note: Look for an in-depth review of the Tamron 14-150mm f3.5-5.8 Di III Lens for Micro Four Thirds on Shutterbug.com in the coming weeks.)

 

—Jon Sienkiewicz

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