There is no denying that we are in the digital age. From phones and computers to cameras there is always new technology coming out and everyone is looking to have the latest and greatest. This makes photography be it a hobby or profession very expensive. Trying to keep up with equipment can be very pricey and overwhelming. 

This summer I was given the opportunity to test out the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD lens. Tamron lenses are available with Nikon mounts, and at very reasonable prices. The wide zoom range on the 70-300mm gave me a lot of flexibility. When I was asked to photograph the classic rock band “Like You Mean It” this summer with my new lens, I jumped at the chance.

When I was photographing the band at the Massapequa Car Show I was able to stand in the crowd and zoom in to 300 and get amazing portrait style photographs of each member including the drummer in the back, as well as zoom out and get wider angle shots of the whole band. When I was invited onstage I was able to play with depth of field and get some more artistic shots of each musician and their instruments. I was pleasantly surprised at the range of photos I was able to create with this one lens. Although the lens does have a 300 zoom, it is not any bulkier or heavier then the other 200 zoom lenses I have worked with, in fact I believe it is slightly more compact which is great for traveling, and it is also reasonably lightweight which is great for photographing events such and bands and sports where you will be photographing a lot of images over a long period of time and it is not in your best interest to have large, heavy and bulky lenses.  

I was also able to use the lens when I was traveling this summer. It was great being able to photograph the kids I was traveling with as they had fun at the beach. I could easily capture them boogie-boarding, body surfing and sailing. Once I uploaded the images onto my computer I was extremely impressed at the clarity of the images. I was also able to get amazing sunset photos and slow down the shutter to got some night shots of the moon all without ever changing my lens. 

Overall I was extremely impressed with the Tamron 70-300 lens. The flexibility, design and overall image quality was amazing, and easy to use. I would recommend this lens for all photographers professional or just starting out. 

Sarah Swartz is currently a photography student earning her degree at the Art Institute in Ft. Lauderdale, and has begun a photography business,  Sarah-Anne Photography, where she specializes in weddings and music photography.