The Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 G2: The Superzoom Lens for You?

A do-it-all zoom sounds like freedom until you hit the usual traps: soft corners, jittery focus, and a slow aperture right when you need light. The video takes the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 into an actual portrait shoot and treats it like a real tool, not a spec sheet.

Coming to you from Julia Trotti, this hands-on video puts the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 on a Sony a7 IV for stills and a Sony a9 III for video, so you get a split view of how it behaves in both modes. Trotti frames the big update clearly: the wide end now starts at 25mm instead of 28mm, which is a small number that can feel big when you’re backed into a tight street or a small room. You also get the honest trade that comes with this range: it opens to f/2.8 at the wide end, then slides down to f/5.6 as you zoom. The shoot setup is bright enough to be forgiving, which makes it easier to spot what the lens is doing instead of blaming the light.

Trotti’s main point on image quality is blunt: this kind of superzoom can look “convenient” in the worst way, but this one stays sharp across the zoom range, and the background doesn’t turn into a messy blur at longer focal lengths. The more practical lesson is how fast your shutter speed gets eaten once you’re deep into the telephoto end and trying to keep motion blur away. Trotti talks through choosing between a slower shutter speed and higher ISO, then shows what happens when you push one or the other. The numbers are relatable rather than dramatic, with 1/250 and 1/200 showing up as personal guardrails when you’re handholding and the subject is moving.

You also get a tight look at handling, without turning it into a teardown. Trotti calls out the size and weight at 575 g, a 67mm filter thread, and moisture-resistant construction, plus the basics you’ll actually touch: zoom lock, AF/MF switch, and a custom button. On focus, the video leans on eye tracking in the field and then switches to a more stressful video autofocus test, with settings pushed toward faster transitions so you can judge the lens instead of the camera playing it safe. Trotti mentions the move to VXD motors in this G2 version and how that compares to the older stepping-motor approach, then lets the footage show whether the focus stays locked as the framing changes.

The comparison section is where the decision gets uncomfortable in a useful way. Trotti lines up alternatives that compete on range but give back light, including the Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary and the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS, then widens the Tamron family tree with the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD, the Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD, and the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, with the underlying question left hanging: how much reach can you actually use before the aperture forces choices you won’t like? Check out the video above for the full rundown from Trotti.