Recommend the best Tamron lens for Fujifilm wildlife photography.

Question

So Ive finally fully committed to the Fuji system with an X-T5 and now I really need to sort out my long range situation for wildlife. I live up in the Pacific Northwest and spend a lot of time hiking through dense woods where I might stumble on a deer or some elk but I also love heading out to the coast to try and get shots of bald eagles and other shorebirds.

I have been looking at Tamron since they have been releasing more X-mount stuff lately. I did a bit of digging and the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 keeps popping up as the main recommendation for serious reach. But then I see people talking about the 18-300mm as a do-it-all lens and honestly I am so torn because carrying one lens would be a dream for hiking. My main worry is that 300mm just wont be enough for the birds but I read one review that said the 150-500 is a total tank to carry around for 6 hours straight. I dont mind a bit of weight but if its gonna kill my back I might hesitate to bring it out which defeats the whole purpose of buying it lol.

Heres what I am looking for specifically:

Budget is around $1,100 to $1,300 max

Needs to handle the gray, overcast light we get here without being too soft

Fast autofocus for birds in flight is a must

I need to buy it within the next two weeks before my trip to Olympic National Park

I saw some people saying the autofocus on the 150-500 is actually faster than the Fuji 100-400 but then others say the stabilization isnt as good. It gets really confusing when everyone has a different opinion on the best setup. Since I am mostly doing this for fun and prints for my own wall I just want something that feels reliable. Does the extra 200mm on the 150-500 really make that much of a difference for smaller subjects or is the 18-300 sharp enough that I can just crop in and be fine?

Really looking for some real world experience here especially if anyone has used these for hiking specifically...

ApexLatency · Accepted Answer

Ive tried many do-it-all zooms over the years and usually regret them for birds. In my experience, the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lacks the resolving power for heavy cropping on a 40MP sensor. If the 150-500 is too heavy, the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is a better technical choice. Its light enough for 6-hour hikes and the glass handles that flat PNW light way better than the superzoom.

UltraVector · Answer

Honestly, you have to go with the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD for what you are doing. I use it on my X-T5 all the time and the results are just fantastic! For birds and shorebirds specifically, 300mm is going to leave you feeling super frustrated because you will be cropping way too much, even with that 40MP sensor. That extra 200mm is a total game changer for getting those crisp feather details on eagles! The 18-300mm is a cool do-it-all lens for travel, but for serious wildlife in the PNW? No way. The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD has much better glass for those gloomy, overcast days we get here. It stays remarkably sharp even when the light is totally garbage. Yeah, it is a bit of a tank, but it isnt back-breaking if you use the right gear. My biggest tip for managing the weight: dont use the neck strap that came with your camera. Seriously. Grab a Peak Design Slide Camera Strap or a solid chest harness to distribute the weight while you are hiking through Olympic. It makes a world of difference for a 6-hour trek. The autofocus is snappy enough to track hawks and eagles in flight easily, especially with the X-T5 subject detection. Youll regret not having that extra reach the second you spot something cool across a river. Just grab it and get shooting!

SignalSage · Answer

@Reply #2 - good point! Unfortunately, I have had issues with edge softness on those third-party zooms in our PNW gloom. The 18-300mm is honestly a disappointment for serious birding.

Try finding a used Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

Grab a Sirui P-325FS Carbon Fiber Monopod Without a monopod, that heavy glass will just wreck your back and lead to blurry shots in low light. Reliability matters more than just having extra reach.