Right i think i have picked my toys up and got them back in the pram,this means i am considering giving Tamron another chance to cure the freeze problem when my dealer has a suitable second hand lens to lend me,this is the cover note i am going to send with it,any thing you think i should add.
Info note
This will be the second time this lens has been returned to you with the same fault,i am now finding this a frustrating situation. The first time I was without the lens for four weeks during which time I believe you sent it to your facility in Germany for testing and repair.
On its return during the first few hundred shots the problem did not show itself, this could have been due to your service work or as happens with intermittent faults just not showing itself,we are now over 1000 shots past the service work and the fault can happen as much as 3 or 4 times per 100 shots,or not at all in that period.
With wildlife photography which this lens is billed as excellent for its a none acceptable situation,i may get only a few seconds to capture a bird in the perfect pose and needing to turn the camera off and on or remove and refit the lens before I take often makes me lose the picture.
My camera is a Nikon D7100 and I use centre point focus,this being the most sensitive good down to F8.the Nikon forum I belong has other members experiencing the same problem to various degrees,cameras include other D7100,D600,D750 and D4.
The problem itself to avoid confusion,the focus will freeze and stay there for several seconds,or until I take one of the above actions, it does this in all lighting conditions at all focal lengths,i really do believe at the price I paid for this lens I am not being unreasonable to expect 100% correct function.