I bought this lens to use as an all purpose lens. The zoom range gives you wide angle to telephoto all in one lens. I mainly shoot cars and people, often at events, so I need a lens that can go wide enough to shoot an entire car at close range or a large group of people, as well as pull in a car or person at a distance. I had bought the Tamron 28-300 zoom first, but found the 28 mm focal length (at the APS-C format) isn't wide enough for group and whole car shots. This lens works well for that. I also like that it's relatively small and lightweight, so it's easy to travel with. I have no complaints about the optics or clarity of the photos. The downside Tamron's autofocus motor. It's noisier and coarser than a Canon, which can be a bit awkward in quiet situations (like a wedding). It also tends to "hunt" for focus more than a Canon lens does. My Tamron 28-300 is the same way. But for the price, it's a good value for a wide-range lens.Read full review
As an old 35mm SLR guy, I've used many camera bodies and lenses over the years. My trusty Canon EF and Tamron lenses have served me well (and saved a lot of money compared to Canon lenses). Technology marches on, film and paper is expensive and hard to find, and the image quality of the digital world has improved greatly. I'm very impressed with the small size, light weight, and zoom range of this lens. Most surprising is the lack of barrel distortion and chromatic aberration in a (28 mm equiv.) wide angle lens -- and it is also a (300 mm equiv.) telephoto. Tamron's high electrical/mechanical/optical quality, smooth operation, and reasonable pricing practices are in full force. The auto-focus is fast enough, but easily confused (a common problem), as with all the lenses I've used on my Canon T4i (so it is probably the camera, not this lens).Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
There's no such thing as a free lunch and the Tamron is no exception here. The extreme zoom range combined with the small lens dimensions comes at cost of some compromises. One is the rather slow max. aperture which limits the creative potential regarding shallow depth-of-field and the other compromise is, naturally, optical quality. In absolute terms the lens shows rather extreme distortions at the 18mm and vignetting as well as border quality don't impress either. The latter is also true for the 200mm setting. Nonetheless the lens is capable to deliver decent quality images under controlled conditions - reads: f/8 (see also the sample shots). In the field the Tamron AF 18-200mm XR felt far more convincing than the Sigma AF 18-200mm DC thanks to a decent AF performance so if it has to be such an extreme zoom lens the Tamron is the better bet. For critical applications you should consider to split the zoom range into at least two lenses though.Read full review
This is a Great all purpose lens! Yes, it’s a little slow, with lower apertures than prime lenses, but it makes up for this with the flexibility of shooting situations it has. You can shoot close up, macro and long zoom, all in one lens, and it’s light enough to carry all day. If you’re looking for a do it all lens, look no farther!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is now my all around lens. If I can only take one lens on a trip, this one gets the nod. Reasonably fast and pretty sharp. Not quite as good as the Canon stuff - but I'm an amateur not a professional.
Verified purchase: Yes
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