Which is the better budget telephoto: Canon EF 75-300mm III or Tamron 75-300mm LD?
Asked 8/14/2014
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I’m trying to choose between two budget telephoto zoom lenses: the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III and the Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 LD. Which is the better option for image quality and autofocus? If neither is a good choice, is there a better alternative for an APS-C Canon camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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There isn't a better choice among the two lenses you have listed. Your choice is more a case of choosing the lesser of two bad choices.
The EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III is likely the poorest performing lens in Canon's current lineup. I would avoid this lens if at all possible.
The Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 is not significantly better.
Neither is very sharp, especially on the long end, and both can exhibit fairly strong chromatic abberation under conditions that are condusive to CA. Both are fairly slow to focus.
If you are using an APS-C camera, I would consider the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II. It can be had relatively cheaply and performs better than either of the lenses you listed. It has optical performance comparable to the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS when used on an APS-C camera.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
11y ago
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Between these two, neither stands out as a good buy. The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III is widely regarded as one of Canon’s weakest telephoto zooms, and the Tamron 75-300mm LD is not meaningfully better.
Both lenses tend to be soft, especially at the long end, can show noticeable chromatic aberration, and generally have slow autofocus. So this is less a matter of choosing the “better” lens and more a matter of avoiding two weak options.
If you’re using a Canon APS-C body, a much better choice is the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II. It offers better overall optical performance and is a stronger value than either 75-300mm option. On APS-C, its image quality is comparable to the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS.
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