Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD Review

The Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD ($799) is an appealing telezoom lens for photographers using both full-frame and APS-C systems.

The zoom delivers crisp images for the most part, with some issues at the edges of the frame, and boasts strong image stabilization.

We give slight preference to the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DH OS HSM Contemporary, a similar zoom with an edge in sharpness at 400mm.

But there are reasons to consider the Tamron, especially if you value protection from the elements.

Design

The Tamron 100-400mm ($799.00 at Amazon) measures 7.8 by 3.4 inches (HD), weighs 2.5 pounds, and supports 67mm front filters.

It telescopes as it zooms, extending by about 3 inches in height at 400mm, and includes front and rear caps and a reversible lens hood.

Tamron sells the lens in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts.

Construction is sturdy, with a barrel that's a mix of metal and polycarbonate.

The lens is protected against dust and moisture and sports fluorine coating on the front element that repels water and grease, making it easier to clean (and keep clean).

This is one area where the Tamron is distinguished from Sigma's 100-400mm Contemporary—the Sigma zoom doesn't include the fluorine coat, nor is it rated for use in harsh weather.

Tamron doesn't include a tripod collar with the 100-400mm, and you may find that you don't need one.

It balances well as a handheld lens on both full-frame and APS-C camera bodies—I tried it with the Nikon D850 and D500.

But it is a long lens, so if you have the camera hanging at your side using a strap that plugs into the tripod socket or if you frequently use a tripod, the $129 add-on price for a collar mount is worth it.

Sigma doesn't offer a collar for its 100-400mm.

The zoom ring is covered in textured rubber and occupies a few inches of the barrel, right behind the front element and bayonet mount for the lens hood.

It turns comfortably, with markings at 100, 135, 200, 300, and 400mm.

There is a lock switch to keep it in place at 100mm, but that's the only focal setting at which the lock can be used.

Tamron includes a more advanced locking system with its longer, pricier 150-600mm G2 zoom—it can lock in place at any focal length.

The manual focus ring sits about an inch behind the zoom ring.

It's also covered in rubber and turns quite easily, with soft stops at both infinity and the minimum 59-inch (1.5-meter) focus distance.

There's an AF/MF toggle switch, with a middle position available to activate an autofocus limit function.

When enabled the limiter keeps the lens focusing at a distance (7 meters to infinity) or up close (1.5 to 7 meters).

The limit is customizable, but you'll need to buy Tamron's $59 TAP-in console to program it.

The TAP-in also supports firmware updates and focus adjustments.

At close to five-feet minimum focus, you wouldn't think of the 100-400mm as a macro lens.

But at 400mm it is capable of projecting objects onto your camera's image sensor at 1:3.6 life-size.

We typically want to see a zoom support 1:3 to call it a macro, and while you won't be nabbing close-up shots of insects or the smallest details of flowers with the 100-400mm, it's pretty capable.

The Canon EF 100-400mm II does a bit better, managing 1:3, but it's also priced around $2,000.

A second toggle controls the VC (Vibration Compensation) system.

You can turn it off—necessary for longer exposures on a tripod—or set it to Mode 1, for most photographic situations, or to Mode 2, used when you need to pan your camera to track a moving subject.

The VC system is effective for four stops of correction.

Despite the relatively narrow maximum aperture, Tamron has designed the 100-400mm to work with its 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.

I've not had a chance to test the lens with either, but keep in mind you'll need to use a camera body that supports f/8 focus to effectively use the 1.4x and f/11 focus with the 2x add-on, assuming you want to maintain accurate autofocus.

Image Quality

I tested the 100-400mm with the 45.6MP Nikon D850 ($2,996.95 at Amazon) .

At 100mm f/4.5 it delivers sharpness that we qualify as very good on a high-resolution sensor, 3,210 lines, on Imatest's center-weighted evaluation.

The edges are very, very soft, showing just 1,187 lines, which should be a concern for full-frame shooters, but won't bother photographers planning on pairing the lens with an APS-C sensor camera.

Resolution ticks up to 3,341 lines at f/5.6, but there's no improvement at the edges of the frame.

We don't see that until f/8, where the average score shows 3,598 lines and the edges are better, but still soft, at 1,578 lines.

At f/11 the average is 3,812 lines across the frame, and edges are better, but still a little soft, at 2,353 lines.

It's not until f/16 that the lens is crisp across the frame, with 3,109-line edges and an average 3,612 lines across the frame.

At f/22 the average drops due to diffraction, 2,721 lines.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

We can't directly compare test results with the Sigma 100-400mm, as we reviewed it in a Canon mount.

But it was tested on the 50MP 5DS R, which delivers results that are in the same ballpark as the D850.

The Sigma is similar in resolution at 100mm on average, and while its edges show soft results at f/5 (1,600 lines) and f/8 (1,906 lines), they are clearer than the Tamron.

In practical terms, edge performance on a telezoom is not a big concern for most imaging, but if it is to you, take note.

If you plan on pairing either zoom with an APS-C camera, be happy to know that full-frame edge softness won't detract from your photos in any way—it's outside the coverage area of the image sensor.

The Tamron does a better job all around at 200mm.

At f/5.6 it scores an excellent 4,080 lines on average, with very good edges (3,314 lines).

Resolution peaks at f/8 (4,301 lines) and is still strong at f/11 (4,116 lines) and f/16 (3,675 lines).

We see the expected drop at f/22 (2,836 lines).

The Sigma zoom lags slightly behind the Tamron at 200mm in numbers, but not to the point where you'll notice a difference in the real world.

At 300mm the maximum aperture is f/6 and the Tamron scores 3,496 lines on average, with performance that is strong right up to the edges of the frame (3,323 lines).

You get the most clarity at f/8 (4,034 lines) and f/11 (4,027 lines).

There's a slight drop at f/16 (3,607 lines) and a more significant one at f/22 (2,805 lines).

Results from the Sigma are slightly stronger at 300mm, but again, not to a degree that matters.

It's at 400mm that the performance differences between the two lenses are most apparent.

The Tamron falls to 2,729 lines at 400mm f/6.3 on average—just shy of the 2,750 lines we want to see at a minimum from the D850—and edges that are soft (1,587 lines).

At f/8 the average improves to 3,253 lines and edge quality is also better (2,207 lines), if still a little soft.

There's a slight drop in the average at f/11 (3,195 lines), but edges are sharper (2,620 lines).

The lens puts up its best edge-to-edge quality at f/16, where the average matches the results at f/11 and edges tick up to 2,854 lines.

The average score drops to 2,443 lines at f/16.

The Sigma outpaces the Tamron more noticeably at 400mm, scoring about 3,400 lines at 400mm at f/6.3 and f/8.

We do see some pincushion distortion.

At 100mm the Tamron shows 0.5 percent, which is negligible, but it increases as you zoom.

There's about 1.2 percent at 200mm and 300mm, and 1.5 percent at 400mm.

Those figures are enough to draw straight lines with a slight inward curve.

You won't notice it for many types of shots, but it is something to be aware of when shooting scenes where truly straight lines are key to composition.

You can remove distortion using software tools—Adobe Lightroom Classic includes a one-click correction—but in-camera correction for JPG capture is not available as this is a third-party lens.

The lens also shows a vignette when used at wider apertures.

At 100mm we see a -2.7EV drop at the corners at f/4.5, -1.9EV at f/5.6, and -1.4EV at f/8—at smaller f-stops the illumination is even from center to corner.

The vignette is lessened at 200mm, showing -2.2EV at f/5.6 and -1.5EV at f/8 before disappearing at f/11 and beyond.

Results are just about the same at 300mm.

At 400mm f/6.3 we see -2.7EV of dimming at the corners, which reduces to -1.5EV at f/8 and goes away at f/11.

Canon cameras can have issues with in-camera illumination correction with third-party lenses.

But if you shoot JPGs with a Nikon body you can enable it with no ill effect.

With the D850's Peripheral Illumination Correction set to is middle Normal setting, we still see a vignette when shooting the lens wide open, but stopping down by one full stop makes it a nonissue at all but 100mm, which requires two stops.

As with distortion, if the vignette effect detracts from an image it can be corrected using software tools.

The same Lightroom profile that removes distortion is also able to correct for vignetting.

And, if you want to go the opposite route and darken edges to better isolate a portrait subject, Lightroom can do that too.

Conclusions

The Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD all but matches its closest competitor in image quality.

The Sigma 100-400mm Contemporary is priced identically, but is a bit sharper at 400mm, which is why we rate it slightly higher.

But that does't mean that absolutely everyone should go with Sigma.

If you often shoot in very harsh weather, the dust and moisture protection offered by the Tamron, as well as the fluorine front coat, are true benefits.

And while it comes at an additional cost, adding a tripod collar is an ergonomic benefit for many.

Neither lens manages to earn our Editors' Choice recommendation.

Our favorite consumer telezoom is still the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary.

It has a longer reach and doesn't cost that much more.

The biggest downside is its 4.3-pound weight—if you prefer a lighter kit and don't need 600mm of reach, a 100-400mm is likely a better fit.