Mastering the magical world of 500mm ultra-telephoto zoom lenses

An astonishingly compact ultra-telephoto zoom lens with image stabilization specifically designed for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras The 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD (Model A057) zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras upends conventional wisdom for ultra-telephoto zoom lenses, with a very compact design and high image quality. The 150-500mm F5-6.7 achieves a 500mm focal length while retaining a compact size, with a length of just 209.6mm (8.3 in) and a maximum diameter of 93mm, enabling comfortable handheld shooting. The design places major emphasis on image quality. The optical construction features 25 elements in 16 groups and utilizes special lens elements and hybrid aspherical lens elements to control various potential aberrations such as chromatic aberrations. The 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom is also equipped with a high-speed, high-precision linear motor focus mechanism VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) and VC (Vibration Compensation), ensuring that no photogenic moment is ever missed. Additionally, the lens has a MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.6m (23.6 in) at the 150mm end and remarkable overall usability. The Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount has strap attachment holes and there are various features to support outdoor shooting, including Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating. The 150-500mm F5-6.7 is a highly versatile lens that lets you capture a wide array of subjects ranging from landscapes and birds to sports and wildlife photography. You will be amazed when you experience the powerful and unique world of ultra-telephoto lenses for yourself.

Enjoy comfortable handheld shooting with a compact full-featured, full-frame 500mm lens
Considering its pairing with mirrorless cameras, TAMRON pursued a compact size that allows handheld shooting while developing the 150-500mm F5-6.7. With a length of 209.6mm (8.3 in) and maximum diameter of 93mm, the 150-500mm F5-6.7 is astonishingly compact for a 500mm-class ultra-telephoto zoom lens built for use on full-frame mirrorless cameras. Even when extended to the 500mm telephoto end, the lens has a suppressed length of around 283mm (11.1 in). Another distinctive feature is that the arc of rotation of the zoom ring is small—only 75°—which enables swift adjustment to the desired focal length with minimal movement.

Uncompromising high image quality throughout the entire zoom range
In addition to covering a broad range of focal lengths, the 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom has high resolving power with excellent image-rendering performance across the entire zoom range. The optical construction features 25 elements in 16 groups. The effective placement of special lens elements—including XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), LD (Low Dispersion) and hybrid aspherical lens elements—enables the 150-500mm F5-6.7 to produce clear images while controlling chromatic aberrations. BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating is used to suppress ghosting and flare, which commonly occur under backlit conditions. These features allow the lens to produce finely detailed images of a wide variety of subjects including wild animals, birds, nature and sports, while producing soft and beautiful bokeh effects.

High-speed, high-precision AF means you’ll never miss a photo opportunity
The 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom’s AF drive system is equipped with the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism. VXD delivers extreme high-speed and high-precision movement and ensures exceptionally responsive performance. Even when shooting at the ultra-telephoto end with a focal length of 500mm, the 150-500mm F5-6.7 enables comfortable, stress-free focusing at all shooting distances from near to far. Focus tracking performance is also very high, facilitating shooting of fast-moving subjects, such as when photographing wild birds, sports, vehicles and wildlife in general. The linear motor also suppresses drive noise and vibrations during focusing, making it ideal for shooting both still photos and video in environments that demand quietness.
The 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom’s AF drive system is equipped with the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism. VXD delivers extreme high-speed and high-precision movement and ensures exceptionally responsive performance. Even when shooting at the ultra-telephoto end with a focal length of 500mm, the 150-500mm F5-6.7 enables comfortable, stress-free focusing at all shooting distances from near to far. Focus tracking performance is also very high, facilitating shooting of fast-moving subjects, such as when photographing wild birds, sports, vehicles and wildlife in general. The linear motor also suppresses drive noise and vibrations during focusing, making it ideal for shooting both still photos and video in environments that demand quietness.

VC image stabilization facilitates shooting handheld at the 500mm ultra-telephoto position
When shooting in the ultra-telephoto range, even the smallest vibrations can lead to loss of image clarity. The 150-500mm F5-6.7 is equipped with VC (Vibration Compensation) functionality to support sharp images despite unavoidable camera shake. VC delivers powerful support for handheld shooting of scenes with low light levels, such as evening scenes and indoor shots, without the use of a tripod. The lens also features a VC mode selection switch with three modes including a dedicated panning mode (Mode 1: Standard, Mode 2: Exclusively for Panning, and Mode 3: Framing Priority), thereby enabling selection of the ideal VC mode to match shooting conditions and preferences.

MOD of 0.6m (23.6 in) when shooting at the 150mm setting
The 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom lets users freely enjoy telephoto macro shooting of subjects at closeup distances. The lens has an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.6m (23.6 in) at the 150mm wide-angle end, and 1.8m (70.9 in) at the 500mm telephoto end. More remarkably, the maximum magnification ratio at the 150mm end is 1:3.1, offering excellent close-up shooting capabilities for an ultra-telephoto zoom lens. The versatile performance of the 150-500mm F5-6.7 enables shooting of a diverse range of scenes from plants and insects to closeup tabletop photos. It also allows users to shoot very dramatic images because it gives the illusion that the distance between objects is less than in real life. Secondarily, it’s also possible to get interesting head-and-shoulder portraits because of this compression effect.

An ultra-telephoto zoom lens with extreme usability for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless
In the development and design of the 150-500mm F5-6.7 zoom, TAMRON emphasized usability so that users can fully immerse themselves in the world of ultra-telephoto zoom lenses without minor annoyances.