TamronSP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras with SanDisk 128GB SD Cards & Altura Photo Complete Accessory and Travel Bundle

Unbelievable quality for the price. This lens stacks up well against some of the best out there. Given its versatility, it is second to none when price is considered. I have shot wildlife photography for years and am blown away by the sharpness and quality of this lens. Before going further I would like to impress upon possible buyers the importance of the tap-in console. Fine-tuning the lens to match your camera body is worth the time and the increased cost. You are already spending $1300 on the lens, but to unlock its full potential you will need the tap-in console and that is the reason I purchased this bundle. I used FoCal to help automate the process and it helped save a lot of time. In addition, the software gives an unbiased assessment at each focal length segment (150, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 for this lens). I paired it to my 5D Mark II and while the lens performed well at around 200 mm, it needed an adjustment of up to -16 in the 400-500 mm range. I ended up making adjustments at each segment offered in the software except for 200 mm. The result was noticeable and well worth the time spent.The lens is well-made and feels good in the hand. During my trip to Africa I found it excelled at everything I threw at it. The Vibration Control is excellent and allows for handheld shots at relatively low shutter speeds (the photo of the leopard drinking was actually taken at 1/20 sec due to extremely low light and is still remarkably crisp). While the AF is a little slow, it works well and is quick enough for demanding wildlife photography. The flex zoom lock works very well and is convenient for quick use. I've included some shots of this lens paired with my Canon 5D Mark II. While you could possibly get slightly better results with a Canon prime lens or their 200-400 mm telephoto, it is hard for me to justify spending all of that money when the Tamron is so versatile and performs so well.The lens case is well-padded and is good enough to transport the lens while traveling. As noted by other reviewers, the lens hood is a tight fit. It will fit in the case, but I chose to keep it in my backpack instead. Do not use the filters provided in the bundle as they will degrade your image. Filters are typically not needed for wildlife photography and I didn't even bother trying these cheap ones. If you really want a UV filter for protection, spend the money and buy a quality one.

I love this lens. I bought it after returning the Canon EF 100-400 L plus 1.4x teleconverter. I know that may be hard to believe, but in actual in-my-yard tests, I'm finding the Tamron much better at the 600mm focal length, due to the functioning autofocus (on a Canon 6d, AF is disabled above f/5.6) faster image stabilization, and basic function.As to the accessories, the big value to this kit is the tap-in console. Do study some of the online guides and calibrate your lens, it's well worth the effort. The Tamron Tap-in Utility allows adjustment of autofocus at 2.2 m, 20m, and infinity for six zoom points (150, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600). For the close-in calibration I used the one at ghettocal (https://petapixel.com/2013/03/12/ghettoca-a-diy-lens-calibration-tool-for-micro-adjustment-enabled-dslrs/), for 20 m. I found a neighbor's brick mailbox pillar was helpful (you need something with a good 2' of variable depth at that distance); for infinity I used some pine trees a good 1/3 of a mile away. Uncalibrated I found this lens backfocused pretty severely at 20m, tended toward forward focus at 2m, and was a combination of both at infinity depending on the zoom. This is likely to be variable between lenses ... never assume yours uncalibrated is going to look like the next guy's.The case is well-constructed and should be durable, though it unfortunately is just a tiny bit too tight to pack the lens with the hood ... ideally I'd prefer a case that permits either for the lens to be inserted with the hood on reversed or (even better) one that allows the hood to be contained separately on the end of the bag with the narrow end of the lens.And the monopod, though not bad, isn't great. The rubber foot doesn't actually screw out far enough to protect a wood floor from the metal spike, so it's of limited indoor utility ... should function fine outdoors. And I'm finding the Vivitar filters extremely difficult to thread onto the lens; not sure if this is a flaw in the filter or the lens, but I've never had another that was so hard to thread on straight. Not that it matters much ... as below I found the UV filter to severely compromise sharpness and have elected not to use it.But hey, the main reason to buy is the lens, and this is a great one. For anyone who wonders, I successfully registered the lens with Tamron's U.S. warranty site, so this vendor is definitely selling legitimate merchandise.Edited to add a few bird photos -- handheld with this lens on a Canon 6d, ISO4000, 1/640 shutter, f/9 to 11. These are handheld shots out my kitchen window to a bird feeder approx. 40 feet away.Second edit: Along with a couple other reviewers on this site, I agree--ditch the Vivitar UV filter that comes in this kit. The difference in sharpness between images with and without it is somewhat inexcusable actually. Take a look at the two 100% crops added below, of detail on my birdhouse. Both are taken at a distance of about 40 feet, handheld, focused using LiveView on a Canon 6d. The only difference between the images is the presence or absence of the UV filter, with the softer of the two being with-filter.Third edit: added description of tap-in calibration above.

I've had this lens for almost two years now and love its capabilities. I use it with my Canon 80D (crop frame). Because it's a crop frame it shots the equivalent of 240 - 960mm. I write this review without having ever used a prime lens or a full framed camera so I can't compare it to higher quality often associated with that type of equipment. I do a lot of wildlife photography as a hobbyist.I love the range of this lens. I can shoot butterfly closeups from 13ft away or capture action shots from a 100+ yards away. Depending on how I have the camera set up this lens does a pretty good job at capturing action shots at just about any range. The vibration isolation and autofocus speed have helped me capture images I only dreamed of getting with my previous telephoto zoom lens. Well worth the money.See attached photos. With the exception of the moon shot all pictures are shot in Av mode, autofocus, and are uncropped & untouched. The moon shot was done in manual mode, auto focus, and is heavily cropped but untouched.