Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Tamron
65 Overall Score
vs
Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

Pentax
73 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

78 out of 100 high confidence 42 reviews

The Tamron 150-500mm lens is widely praised for its sharpness, fast autofocus, and excellent value compared to native telephoto zooms. Many users appreciate the extra reach and image quality, though the weight is a common concern, especially for handheld use. Some reviewers note trade-offs in low-light performance and stabilization, and a few report compatibility issues with teleconverters or defective copies.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
  • Great value for money
  • Extra reach over 100-400mm
  • Effective image stabilization (VC)
Cons
  • Heavy for handheld use
  • Average low-light performance
  • Stabilization not as good as native lenses
  • No teleconverter compatibility
  • Some copies may be defective
👍 Sharpness 12
👍 Autofocus speed 8
👍 Value for money 10
👎 Weight 14
🤔 Image stabilization 7
👎 Low light performance 5

Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

82 out of 100 medium confidence 24 reviews

The Pentax HD DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR lens is highly praised for its superb build quality, sharpness, and beautiful color rendition. Users love it as a versatile walk-around lens for street photography and landscapes, especially on APS-C bodies like the K-3. The main drawbacks are its variable aperture and a price that many feel is too high for the performance gain over kit lenses.

Pros
  • Superb build quality
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Beautiful color rendition
  • Weather resistant
  • Versatile focal range for street and landscape
Cons
  • Variable aperture (f/2.8-4)
  • High price for performance gain
  • Limited zoom range
  • Not as wide as some kit lenses
👍 Build quality 8
👍 Sharpness 7
👍 Color rendition 5
👎 Value for money 4
👍 Weather resistance 3
👎 Variable aperture 3

Scores

Budget
Tamron
75
Pentax
78
Travel
Tamron
61
Pentax
77
Street
Tamron
67
Pentax
77
Video Cinema
Tamron
75
Pentax
61
Landscape
Tamron
75
Pentax
65
Portrait
Tamron
70
Pentax
73
Wildlife Sports
Tamron
70
Pentax
59
Macro
Tamron
70
Pentax
68
Professional
Tamron
69
Pentax
65

Specifications

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXDPentax Limited Series 23010 40mm
Optics
Typesuper-telephotozoom
Focal Length Min150 mm20 mm
Focal Length Max500 mm40 mm
Elements259
Groups168
Aspherical Elements11
ED Elements5★1
Coatingfluorine-coated front elementHD coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/5f/4
Min Aperture5-6.72.8-4
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony EPentax K
Formatfull-frame★APS-C
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight1.73 kg0.28 kg★
Filter Thread82 mm55 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeVXD linear motor★DC
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance500 mm280 mm★
Max Magnification1:3.11:5

Pros & Cons

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

  • Strong optical (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (84th percentile)84th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Below average build (15th percentile)15th %ile
  • Below average social proof (25th percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)

Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

  • Strong social proof (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong build (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong macro (73rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Pricing

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is £119 cheaper (1.2x less).

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

Verdict

★ Winner: Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm

Scores 73 overall, wins 4 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 21 specs.

Tamron Di III 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Better at:

MacroLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm Better at:

BudgetStreetTravelPortrait

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