3rd Follow Up: Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD. First event session.

Lens Test - Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD

Yep. A great lens.

Many stated that this spec would make for a perfect event lens and I agreed. But I had not had an opportunity to test this theory in the wild. That changed this last weekend. Recently I did an engagement session for a young cousin of mine and her fiance.

Well as a follow up they were kind enough to have an engagement celebration this last weekend. A perfect opportunity to test the 35-150mm f/2-2.8.

Background

But first a little about me. As stated before in this space my interest in photography is multi-faceted, but a major instigating influence is my Father’s photography.

My introduction to photography largely comes from being with my Father as he documented family events over the years. His intentions, while not spoken that I can remember were pure. Capture the family in images. The fruit is albums filled with images from my childhood. Here is a photo of my cousin Johnsie and I taken by my Father in front of his Road Runner…

…and it is her daughter Alex that has gotten engaged. So this is a family affair. And I pull out the stops where my family is concerned in honor of my Father’s memory.

The Event

So what about the venue. Was being held at a church so I looked it up in Google maps and it is a large facility. With that, I figured that it would be in a large space like a dining hall or a gymnasium. This would likely mean:

Large open spaces.
Little natural light with relatively low light.
Tan or off-color surfaces and high ceilings that are not bounce flash friendly.
Likely many people at once for portraits.
Large spaces to cover so a zoom would be quite handy.

Based on this I brought the following:

Lighting

Was not sure that I would have a chance to use it, but to handle the poor lighting conditions expected I brought my largest modifier and used a dual AD200 setup. Also brought a couple of V1s. They could be used on-camera or as additional lights for a portrait setup. I like to use them to light up backgrounds or for rim light. I really like the Godox/Flashpoint TTL system. After starting out with manual flashes briefly, for events with many variables where I do not have time to change settings I have learned to trust their TTL system (KEH blog post I wrote about Godox/Flashpoint here.).

Camera

What else. My go to “I just want to get the shot.” camera. The do anything I ask of it and so good I see no reason to replace it with the newer model for my purposes A7III.

Lens

The main topic of this post, the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD.

So we arrived and as expected it was in a very nice gym/dining room/stage….

…and it met all of my expectations above. There was the added bonus of a backdrop for portraits already being set up. And it was great. I noted this and next time I will bring a pop up backdrop just in case.

A beautiful event. A beautiful group of folks. Many photos were taken. Here I will show a few samples that show how flexible this lens is. Brought my full kit, but ended up using the 35-150mm for 95% of the photos taken. Soon after the event started it was the only lens I was using.

From the Table

Started the event off sitting at a table with my family where I spent most of the event. From here I was able to capture some fun moments like my cousin leading a Not Newlywed game and other hosts.

Portraits

When I asked the couple if they were ok with me setting up the lights and taking portraits for them they quickly accepted, introduced me to the attendees, and announced that I would be taking portraits if they were interested. The attendees were game. From there I used the portrait backdrop set up already in place. Kudos to those that put this in place. I set up the main light camera right and put two V1s behind the subjects with dome diffuser modifiers. With so many different sized groups coming to get their photos taken it was great to have such a broad focal range in one lens. A great set up to capture images of beautiful people. Here are a few of my favorites.

<pause> These last two photos above are a perfect example of why I enjoy this lens so much. What started out as waist up shots quickly turned into full body shots when the groom-to-be and his friend got into the posing. Quickly jumped from 94mm to 43mm with a flick of the wrist where in the past I would have had to switch camera bodies or lenses. <unpause>

Please take note of the wide range of focal lengths used above. From 43mm to 103mm and some other portraits went to 35mm. All with one lens. I had a 17-28mm mounted on another body just in case, but I made almost no use of it at all this go around.

The Dance Floor

Here is the other great part. While portraits were being taken the DJ…

…had folks out on the dance floor behind me throughout.

With the 35-150mm all I would do was turn around, turn off the flash trigger, and fire away.

Final Thoughts

Simply put? One camera and one lens for all of my event needs.

I had thought that I might just bring this lens only, but caved and brought more. After this experience, I will bring this lens alone without hesitation in the future. If I do bring anything else it will be when I am going for a certain look or if I want to have backup options on hand.

Quick Feature Recap

Weight and Size

Non-issue. Some high spec primes weigh nearly as much. I did not have a strap and held the camera for most all of the shoot and I have no complaints.

Smaller Than Prime Apertures

Low light was not an issue. The f/2-2.8 range did just fine with available light even in this low light environment and I used f/5.6 for the group shots with flash.

Autofocus

Fast, silent, and accurate. Could not ask for any better.

Image Quality/Sharpness/Colors

Every bit of a match for any lens I have used before.

Conclusion

Again. One camera and one lens for all of my event needs.

Well done Tamron. Ongoing gallery here.