Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD

superNoid wrote in post #17513390
Sorry, I should have been more precise. When I was shooting around the house with one shot, VC was rock solid and razor sharp. I swapped to AI Servo during the game and VC did in fact lock on but since it was in servo it was following the subject instead of locking on a static single point. To be completely honest, this was probably the first time I've shot in AI Servo in over 3 years and I have little experience.

I shot on manual, 1/500th, 2.8 (f4 on some), and auto ISO. Focus was still set to a single point, no zone. That comes from years of having odd behavior with focus on zone, so I'm used to single point. Now, its been years since I've used auto ISO, but I read someplace recently that its good under AI servo so I gave it shot. Ultimately it may have lead to some of the blown out areas of the photo, but keep in mind that today was blisteringly sunny, piecing to be exact. The grass in person appear washed out with all the direct sun we were getting at 10:30am.

I need to work on proper settings for sports, if you guys have any suggestions I am all ears. Should I be zone focusing in servo?

anymore my standards for moving sports is 1/2000 on shutter. For those daytime shots you posted you should of been 2.8 ISO 100-200 and shutter 2000+. If it's bright outdoor I shoot in AV mode and I adjust ISO from usually 200-800 depending on how much light is out there. Today was kinda overcasted so I was hovering around 800. I just stick it on something that keeps my shutter up.

Now... if it's nighttime stuff I shoot in TV mode and I usually adjust anywhere from 1/640 to 1/1000 and I typically try to keep it as high as possible. Then with a quick flip of the wheel I can throw it down to 1/80 range for times when I'm just capturing them standing still type stuff and that gives me a good lower ISO shot of them in the moment type thing.

You really shouldn't be using manual. My technique produces really good results and in AV or TV I can ride the exposure compensation wheel to adjust as needed. For your very bright daytime light I normally run around a -1/3 to -2/3 on the EC only to protect the highlights. Very important and then later in POST I'll bring highlights down to around -50 in Lightroom and then bring up the exposure till the highlights look decent and maybe boost shadows no more than 25.

This protects highlights and keeps things from getting blown out.

Let me repeat... bright harsh sunlite = PROTECT THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM GETTING BLOWN.

vk2gwk wrote in post #17513417
I find my copy of the lens a bit slow in AF - especially in AIServo. But haven't tried it out on moving subjects much lately. Happy to see some people doing great sports shots.

I really don't see how people can say that it's slow AF. I find the AF to be remarkable fast and matching the Canon MK2 in every way (or maybe 97% of the Canon). I've had both and my second Tamron is doing good.

Here is an example... My wife behind my daughter was taking photos of them. This shot was 200mm 2.8. The kids who played football where running in and I wasn't taking photos of them just my daughter (she is doing cheer).

This one kit with sunglasses comes running through and I figured I'd see how the tracking was so without notice I focus on the boy and took this shot of him. 187mm 2.8 1/3200 ISO 400. Literally seconds before I was focused on the cheerleaders behind and without notice and in SERVO mode I instantly moved to the boy and snapped and it nailed it.

I've been very impressed with the focusing on the 5D3. I'm super happy. And this was a pretty good feat to take down the boy was in a full sprint. My wife is the far left and my daughter is the 3rd from left girl.

THE FOCUS POINT WAS FAR LEFT TOP POINT THE ENTIRE TIME. And I never moved during this test.

Here is a 100% crop of the above photo. I find the IQ to be perfectly acceptable IMHO. Straight out of Lightroom with a simple import/export with defaults... no other adjustments.

YOU CAN SEE ME IN THE GLASSES

Here is a crap shot but was me just testing the AF on the lens.

Here is a prime example on why 1/500 is not enough. This is 200mm 2.8 1/500 ISO 200. NO CROP.

The face is good but the feet/hands are blurred. It's a throw away shot for me but it does show the lens kept up in a series of a boy in full sprint running past me.

Final sample on the AF performance and another lesson why 1/500 is not enough, the face was OK but the feet/arms are blurred. I wasn't watching my shutter (I was in AV mode) and ended up shortly after this moving to ISO 800 to keep the shutter up. Still a decent shot. about a 20% mild crop for framing.

200mm 2.8 1/500 ISO 200

Talley wrote in post #17513468
anymore my standards for moving sports is 1/2000 on shutter. For those daytime shots you posted you should of been 2.8 ISO 100-200 and shutter 2000+. If it's bright outdoor I shoot in AV mode and I adjust ISO from usually 200-800 depending on how much light is out there. Today was kinda overcasted so I was hovering around 800. I just stick it on something that keeps my shutter up.

Now... if it's nighttime stuff I shoot in TV mode and I usually adjust anywhere from 1/640 to 1/1000 and I typically try to keep it as high as possible. Then with a quick flip of the wheel I can throw it down to 1/80 range for times when I'm just capturing them standing still type stuff and that gives me a good lower ISO shot of them in the moment type thing.

You really shouldn't be using manual. My technique produces really good results and in AV or TV I can ride the exposure compensation wheel to adjust as needed. For your very bright daytime light I normally run around a -1/3 to -2/3 on the EC only to protect the highlights. Very important and then later in POST I'll bring highlights down to around -50 in Lightroom and then bring up the exposure till the highlights look decent and maybe boost shadows no more than 25.

This protects highlights and keeps things from getting blown out.

Let me repeat... bright harsh sunlite = PROTECT THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM GETTING BLOWN.

Thanks for all your input. I'm a fan of AV or TV when it makes sense, and I'm usually in them instead of Manual. 1/2000+ does make sense and doing that almost certainly would have prevented blown highlights. I'll remember that tomorrow, and see how that goes.

Looks like I need to clean my sensor haha.

couple of my youngest.

Some random shots from the 70-200

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/rY85​DL

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/rZk3​sB

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/rwcX​GK

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/riJo​aE

Here's a couple of my new puppy

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/s4fG​sj

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/skED​LW

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/skMq​tZ

I'm in the market for a 70-200 f2.8 IS, and after reading through some of this thread, the Tamron is a front runner. I will need it around August. It also fits my budget. The Canon would be a stretch. Another plus is I found my local camera store has one I can rent to try it out! Will definitely take advantage of that.

A few questions for everyone about the Tammy.

I see my uses being a lot for sports. My daughter is going to be running Cross country in college this fall, so I want to use it for that.

How do you like it for sports?
Any problems with the AF? If I recall everyone seems to agree it is fast.
Has anyone used it for automotive/motorcycle racing?
Any cons about the lens overall?
Price, I see that it currently has a 100 rebate, but saw earlier this year it was 200 or 250 off. Does Tamron do that regularly? Would like to take advantage of the 200 if it is around the corner.
Thanks.

rharrison8 wrote in post #17546401
I'm in the market for a 70-200 f2.8 IS, and after reading through some of this thread, the Tamron is a front runner. I will need it around August. It also fits my budget. The Canon would be a stretch. Another plus is I found my local camera store has one I can rent to try it out! Will definitely take advantage of that.

A few questions for everyone about the Tammy.

I see my uses being a lot for sports. My daughter is going to be running Cross country in college this fall, so I want to use it for that.

How do you like it for sports?
Any problems with the AF? If I recall everyone seems to agree it is fast.
Has anyone used it for automotive/motorcycle racing?
Any cons about the lens overall?
Price, I see that it currently has a 100 rebate, but saw earlier this year it was 200 or 250 off. Does Tamron do that regularly? Would like to take advantage of the 200 if it is around the corner.
Thanks.

Tamron has only ever done 100 off rebates. about 4 months after release I landed a really good deal of 1199 after rebate and sold it a year later to buy the 120-300... I still have the 120-300 and just repurchased the tamron VC model for 1250 after rebate. Expect to pay around that price. I do recommend buying new only for warranty reasons, can't beat the 5 or 6 year warranty it comes with.

AF performance on both my copies have been stellar. Can't complain at all. I use mine for kids sports too.

I have shot some motocross with it and have been pretty happy with the AF. Shooting center point focus, AF Servo, in good light it is pretty consistent and fast...