Tamron 16-300 mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO review - Distortion

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Tamron 16-300 mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO

4 June 2014

Arkadiusz Olech

6. Distortion

Megazoom lenses always have a lot of distortion problems because it is difficult to control that aberration in a wide range of focal lengths. The Tamron didn’t manage to do it as well but, if you keep in mind that it starts from 16 mm, not from 18 mm like most of megazooms for smaller sensors, you have to admit it faced the most difficult task. It didn’t fare worse than the other rivals, easier to manufacture - a minor success of a sort.

At the wide angle of view you have to take into account noticeable barrel distortion which value we measured as -4.68%. When it comes to other lenses of that type usually the distortion level becomes zero with the increase of the focal length, then it turns into pincushion and its level soars again. Here the situation is different. The distortion level decreases very quickly and then it turns momentarily into pincushion, becoming noticeably high again. Already at 35 mm you have a level of +2.17% which can be noticed without any problems. The aberration reaches its peak at 50 mm where it approaches +2.50% and then it decreases again. At 100 mm it is +1.97%, at 200 mm it reaches +1.45% and at 300 mm it declines to a not especially bothersome level of +1.36%.

Canon 50D, 16 mm

Canon 50D, 35 mm

Canon 50D, 50 mm

Canon 50D, 100 mm

Canon 50D, 200 mm

Canon 50D, 300 mm

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