Graduated out of the Kit lens

Since I got my first DSLR, the world of photography opened its floodgates to me and I had too much to learn and I still find that I learn every time I take the camera in my hands. I have been using the Nikon D3100 with its standard 18-55mm kit lens and I am quite happy with it mainly because of the learning opportunities a kit lens gives me. I found out that macro photography and portraits fascinate me and I also liked wildlife photography. So I decided to get a Tele-Zoom lens with constant and large aperture. The Nikkor 70-200mm lens was quite expensive and though photography is a hobby, it hasn’t turned out to be a serious hobby to me. Hence I decided to get the Tamron 70-200mm lens which was much more economical and value for money for amateurs like me. Sigma was also on the cards, but somehow I wanted Tamron over it. I ordered it from Amazon and got it shipped to India through my cousins in US.

I have now officially graduated out of the Kit lens. But still the Tamron is quite heavy and the minimum range 70mm isn’t wide enough. So there would be a lot of times when I need to go back to good old 18-55, just for that 18. Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro lens is quite a marvel in optics and engineering. It’s solidly built. The rubber grip in zoom and focus ring is smooth. The hood is of high quality and fits in like tank. Overall it’s a pleasure to handle. On the performance front, I haven’t taken it to the limits yet. But it’s really good so far. Macro images on F2.8 could be tricky as the focus needs to be spot on. With the absence of image stabilization one would need a lot of practice and perfectly still pair of hands to shoot with the Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro lens. I paid $769 for it and already feel that its a perfect value for money.

Check out these images which I shot in and around my house.

I still don’t possess enough geekology to speak about the technical specifications and photographic performance of the lens. But be assured that I am slowly inching my way towards it.