A Road Trip Across Iconic National Parks with Two Tamron Zoom Lenses

By Daniel Tai | landscape and cityscape photographer

For many of us travelling from Singapore to destinations like the United States, every day counts. With limited time in iconic national parks such as Yosemite, Zion, and Death Valley, I challenged myself to photograph America’s landscapes using only two Tamron zoom lenses. I worked fast to capture beautiful images without feeling restricted by my gear.

The Journey

I did a road trip with a group of friends across the United States, visiting famous national parks in California, Utah, and Arizona, including Yosemite and Zion National Park. We ended the trip in San Francisco.

I visited these places many years ago when I was still in university, so I knew the parks offered diverse photo opportunities. You get world-famous views like Tunnel View at Yosemite, and you also get scenes that show up only when you walk away from the main viewpoints.

I wanted to see if I could still do the parks justice, even with limited time at each stop. With the lenses I loaned from Tamron, I could shoot based on my vision and keep moving without worrying about switching gear all the time.

The Lenses

I shot the entire trip with just two lenses on a Sony A7R III:

• Tamron 16–30mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 for wide-angle scenes and astrophotography
• Tamron 50–400mm F/4.5–6.3 Di III VC VXD for reach, while staying flexible at the wide end

The 16–30mm F/2.8 covered all my wide-angle work, from landscapes to astrophotography. The 50–400mm gave me strong reach. Some lenses that start at 100mm can feel too tight at times. Starting at 50mm gave me more flexibility, so I did not need to switch lenses as often.

Shooting in Changing Light

The 16–30mm F/2.8 wide aperture let me shoot across many conditions, from golden hour to astrophotography. Sharpness stayed strong at F/2.8, so I felt comfortable shooting astro at that aperture to maximise light reaching the sensor.

The 50–400mm lens VC helped when light dropped. I got sharp handheld telephoto images at slower shutter speeds, which gave me more freedom to keep moving instead of setting up a tripod each time.

Moments That Stood Out

Death Valley Textures

In Death Valley, I found patterns and textures that needed reach in the 200mm to 400mm range to match what I had in mind. I was happy the 50–400mm helped me get those tighter frames. At the same time, 50mm was wide enough for many scenes, so I still avoided unnecessary lens changes.

Angel’s Landing, Zion

On the Angel’s Landing hike at Zion National Park, I had fun shooting a backlit scene of a tree with the wide-angle lens. By changing aperture, I got a pleasing sunstar at F/16, plus interesting flare at F/2.8 that gave the image extra character.

Sand Dunes at Sunset

Shooting on the sand dunes at Death Valley during sunset was tough because the light changes fast. I had to move quickly. The zoom range and VC helped me capture sharp handheld images while I moved around. The range also let me switch between big dune scenes and small details in the sand.

Handling and Practicality

At 440g, the 16–30mm F/2.8 felt light and easy to handle. Many F/2.8 wide-angle lenses are larger and heavier, which can wear you down during long sessions. With this weight, the camera felt balanced, and I could hold it longer in the field.

The 50–400mm stayed practical thanks to VC. Sharp handheld telephoto shots gave me more freedom, since I did not need to set up a tripod as often. VC also raised my hit rate for sharp images.

Weather and Environmental Conditions

The dunes were tricky because fine sand gets everywhere. The Tamron lenses are weather sealed, and they handled harsh conditions well.

What I Learned

With the Tamron 16–30mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2

1. Know when to use which aperture. Shoot dark scenes like astrophotography at F/2.8. Shoot close foreground scenes at smaller apertures like F/16 to keep more of the scene in focus. Use mid apertures when most of the scene sits on a similar focus plane.
2. Switch to manual focus at night when autofocus struggles. Aim at a distant bright object like a star and turn the focus ring until the star becomes a clean point.
3. After each shot, zoom in to 100% and check sharpness and focus. You do not want to find out later on a computer screen.

With the Tamron 50–400mm F/4.5–6.3 Di III VC VXD

1. Use the right VC setting for the situation. Turn it on for handheld work. Turn it off for long exposures on a tripod.
2. Know your minimum shutter speed at each focal length. VC helps, but you still need a baseline shutter speed to keep images sharp.
3. Explore the full zoom range. Try different focal lengths and compositions instead of sticking to one setting.

Final Thoughts

The biggest surprise with the 16–30mm F/2.8 G2 was its weight. I also read that focus breathing is low, which helps when focus bracketing for landscape work and stacking images during post processing.

For the 50–400mm, the standout factor was VC performance. I shot the full moon handheld at almost 400mm and still got sharp images.

Both lenses delivered excellent sharpness. I could shoot wider and crop in when needed. This setup helped me focus on seeing and composing, instead of worrying about what my gear could not do.

About Daniel Tai