Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 at DVinfo.net

Kent Jakusz · January 18th, 2015, 12:43 PM

The new Tamron 150-600mm is getting rave reviews. I am considering mounting this lens on a GH4 via a Metabones Speedbooster. If I understand the literature correctly in 4K video I would have a lens that is the equalivent of 245 - 980mm and gain 1 f stop. If I got either the Canon or Nikon mount the built in lens stabilization would work and the aperture would be auto in P or S camera settings. No auto focus but focus peaking would ease the burden of correct focus. Using a Depth of Field Calculator the DOF is crazy small.
Has anyone tried this combination?
Opinions on other long focal lengths options would be appreciated. I have the Lumix 100-300. It is a pretty good lens but I am always looking for more reach and higher quality.

Thanks for any opinions..
Kent

Bryce Comer · January 18th, 2015, 04:38 PM

Hi Kent,
I too have been looking at this lens to use with the GH4.
You are correct in your calculations of 35mm equivalent focal lengths.
This is the adaptor i believe you are referring to when you talk about the lens stabilization, reduced crop factor, & gain of f stop. It is the speed booster "S" version (standing for smart)
Metabones®
There is also this Canon to M4/3 adaptor that isn't the speed booster so no extra light, or reduction of the crop factor but has the IS & ability to set aperture from the camera body:
Metabones®
As for the Nikon mount lenses. There is the speed booster version: Metabones®
And the regular version: Metabones®
But neither of the Nikon mount adaptors have IS, or the ability to set aperture from the camera body, both work with a manual aperture dial on the adaptor itself.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Bryce

Ronald Jackson · January 18th, 2015, 05:12 PM

I use a Nikkor AF-S 80-400 on a GH4. Sometimes with a Sigma 1.4x and a Nikkor 2X TC. Best without the TCs though can be "acceptable". Metabones adapter, aperture adjusted by a dial on the converter.

I had a 500 Sigma which good but sold in anticipation of the purchase of a Sigma 150-600 which on back order with no firm info. on availability.

(Wonder whether Sigma jumped the gun and announced the lens in an attempt to queer Tamron's pitch.)

Nikkor gives 184 to 920mm full 35mm equivalent in 4K/UHD. Difficult to focus particularly a moving subject (I do birds) even with a Swit 7inch monitor and the GH4 peaking. (Peaking seems to work better in 1080p with a long lens.)

Here's a short video, in UHD, shot via the Nikkor and 1.4X TC. In retrospect I wish I hadn't used the TC but I had no idea how long the bird was to remain.

Ron

(A bit soft. Images straight off the camera which has sharpness at "0". ISO 500 and lens wide open.

Vishal Jadhav · January 19th, 2015, 11:48 PM

The Tamron from its reviews has been on the buying list for sure buy sigma came up with a announced better lens, while waiting for these to arrive and get established i have experimented with the GH4 and various tele lenses, the best i have found is the 100-400 canon gives amazing results, using it with dumb adapters.

here is the one shot with 100-400, 500 and 600 of canon

after using the canon 100-400 for videos i stopped thinking of buying the sigma or the tamron,
However this said the nikon 80-400 has proved its worth equally well and hence i suppose you have these choices to go with.

guess price wise all of these should be in a similar price bracket.

cheers
vishal

Kent Jakusz · January 20th, 2015, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the great info. Does focus peaking work with third party lenses? If not how to you attain focus?

Enjoy
Kent

Bryce Comer · January 20th, 2015, 10:00 AM

Yes focus peaking works.

Bryce Comer · June 21st, 2015, 12:40 AM

So i have been using the Tamron 150-600mm lens with the GH4 for a few weeks. Build quality for a lens this price is great. Zoom range is great for wildlife which is what i do mostly. Today though, i noticed a strange issue with the out of focus areas in my footage. Here are some frame grabs from various shots taken with the lens. All were taken at full zoom, varying apertures. The one with the normal background blur is taken with the Panasonic 14-140mm lens. All the rest are taken with the Tamron. All those shots seem to have a vertical or diagonal blur to them. The one of the northern flicker is especially bad, the rest vary.
Does anyone have any idea as to why i would be getting this effect?
Thanks,
Bryce

Ronan Fournier · September 23rd, 2015, 06:37 AM

I've used the Tamron 150-600mm (for Canon EF) with the Metabones Smart Adapter (firmware 1.7) for few days and it worked very well. But today the iris of the Tamron doesn't respond. It stays wild open. And if I turn on the stabilisation on the Tamron, it freezes the GH4 (I must extract the GH4's battery to shut it off).
I don't know where this bug come from. Other Canon lenses still working correctly with the Metabones adapter, and the Tamron works well with a Canon 600D.
One could says that this 150-600 is not compatible with Metabones, but it used to work perfectly before.
The firmware v1,8 for the Metabones doesn't solved the problem.

Any idea?
Thanks!

January 18th, 2015, 12:43 PM	#1
Kent Jakusz Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Stevens Point, Wi Posts: 156	Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 The new Tamron 150-600mm is getting rave reviews. I am considering mounting this lens on a GH4 via a Metabones Speedbooster. If I understand the literature correctly in 4K video I would have a lens that is the equalivent of 245 - 980mm and gain 1 f stop. If I got either the Canon or Nikon mount the built in lens stabilization would work and the aperture would be auto in P or S camera settings. No auto focus but focus peaking would ease the burden of correct focus. Using a Depth of Field Calculator the DOF is crazy small. Has anyone tried this combination? Opinions on other long focal lengths options would be appreciated. I have the Lumix 100-300. It is a pretty good lens but I am always looking for more reach and higher quality. Thanks for any opinions.. Kent

January 18th, 2015, 04:38 PM	#2
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 Hi Kent, I too have been looking at this lens to use with the GH4. You are correct in your calculations of 35mm equivalent focal lengths. This is the adaptor i believe you are referring to when you talk about the lens stabilization, reduced crop factor, & gain of f stop. It is the speed booster "S" version (standing for smart) Metabones® There is also this Canon to M4/3 adaptor that isn't the speed booster so no extra light, or reduction of the crop factor but has the IS & ability to set aperture from the camera body: Metabones® As for the Nikon mount lenses. There is the speed booster version: Metabones® And the regular version: Metabones® But neither of the Nikon mount adaptors have IS, or the ability to set aperture from the camera body, both work with a manual aperture dial on the adaptor itself. Hope this helps. Regards, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

January 18th, 2015, 05:12 PM	#3
Ronald Jackson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southport, United Kingdom Posts: 723	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 I use a Nikkor AF-S 80-400 on a GH4. Sometimes with a Sigma 1.4x and a Nikkor 2X TC. Best without the TCs though can be "acceptable". Metabones adapter, aperture adjusted by a dial on the converter. I had a 500 Sigma which good but sold in anticipation of the purchase of a Sigma 150-600 which on back order with no firm info. on availability. (Wonder whether Sigma jumped the gun and announced the lens in an attempt to queer Tamron's pitch.) Nikkor gives 184 to 920mm full 35mm equivalent in 4K/UHD. Difficult to focus particularly a moving subject (I do birds) even with a Swit 7inch monitor and the GH4 peaking. (Peaking seems to work better in 1080p with a long lens.) Here's a short video, in UHD, shot via the Nikkor and 1.4X TC. In retrospect I wish I hadn't used the TC but I had no idea how long the bird was to remain. YouTube (Short URL) Ron (A bit soft. Images straight off the camera which has sharpness at "0". ISO 500 and lens wide open. Last edited by Ronald Jackson; January 18th, 2015 at 05:16 PM. Reason: More information

January 19th, 2015, 11:48 PM	#4
Vishal Jadhav Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Pune, Mah , India Posts: 445	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 The Tamron from its reviews has been on the buying list for sure buy sigma came up with a announced better lens, while waiting for these to arrive and get established i have experimented with the GH4 and various tele lenses, the best i have found is the 100-400 canon gives amazing results, using it with dumb adapters. here is the one shot with 100-400, 500 and 600 of canon Birds around Pune on Vimeo after using the canon 100-400 for videos i stopped thinking of buying the sigma or the tamron, However this said the nikon 80-400 has proved its worth equally well and hence i suppose you have these choices to go with. guess price wise all of these should be in a similar price bracket. cheers vishal

January 20th, 2015, 09:35 AM	#5
Kent Jakusz Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Stevens Point, Wi Posts: 156	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 Thanks for the great info. Does focus peaking work with third party lenses? If not how to you attain focus? Enjoy Kent

January 20th, 2015, 10:00 AM	#6
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 Yes focus peaking works. __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

June 21st, 2015, 12:40 AM	#7
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Re: Tamron 150-600 on the GH4 So i have been using the Tamron 150-600mm lens with the GH4 for a few weeks. Build quality for a lens this price is great. Zoom range is great for wildlife which is what i do mostly. Today though, i noticed a strange issue with the out of focus areas in my footage. Here are some frame grabs from various shots taken with the lens. All were taken at full zoom, varying apertures. The one with the normal background blur is taken with the Panasonic 14-140mm lens. All the rest are taken with the Tamron. All those shots seem to have a vertical or diagonal blur to them. The one of the northern flicker is especially bad, the rest vary. Does anyone have any idea as to why i would be getting this effect? Thanks, Bryce Attached Thumbnails __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

September 23rd, 2015, 06:37 AM	#8
Ronan Fournier Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Paris, France Posts: 201	Tamron 150-600 & GH4 issue? I've used the Tamron 150-600mm (for Canon EF) with the Metabones Smart Adapter (firmware 1.7) for few days and it worked very well. But today the iris of the Tamron doesn't respond. It stays wild open. And if I turn on the stabilisation on the Tamron, it freezes the GH4 (I must extract the GH4's battery to shut it off). I don't know where this bug come from. Other Canon lenses still working correctly with the Metabones adapter, and the Tamron works well with a Canon 600D. One could says that this 150-600 is not compatible with Metabones, but it used to work perfectly before. The firmware v1,8 for the Metabones doesn't solved the problem. Any idea? Thanks! __________________ http://www.songesdemoai.com/