Di II: Lenses are designed for exclusive use on digital cameras with smaller-size imagers and inherit all of the benefits of our Di products. These lenses are not designed for conventional cameras and digital cameras with image sensors larger than 24mm x 16mm.
Tamron's new high-power zoom lens is a photographer's dream come true — it is the result of Tamron's continuing mission to develop the world's most unique "one-lens-does-it-all" zooms to satisfy our customers' desire. While conventional 35mm film cameras required two lenses to cover 28-388mm, Tamron's new zoom is 13.9X, the world's most powerful zoom delivering enormous photographic freedom in a single compact lens. The life of a digital photographer has never been better.
Di II: Lenses are designed for exclusive use on digital cameras with smaller-size imagers and inherit all of the benefits of our Di products. These lenses are not designed for conventional cameras and digital cameras with image sensors larger than 24mm x 16mm.
Tamron's new high-power zoom lens is a photographer's dream come true — it is the result of Tamron's continuing mission to develop the world's most unique "one-lens-does-it-all" zooms to satisfy our customers' desire. While conventional 35mm film cameras required two lenses to cover 28-388mm, Tamron's new zoom is 13.9X, the world's most powerful zoom delivering enormous photographic freedom in a single compact lens. The life of a digital photographer has never been better.
I think it's the best all-in-one lens! Perfect colors but some chromatic abberration in some situation. Good sharpness, really perfect at f/8 or better also at 250mm. But it has a slow and noisy autofocus system.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I own it
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: i think the best all in one lens Cons: slow autofocus
Tamron 18-250 mm macro lens for Canon cameras, Saturday, 29 March 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.3
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
lens produced good quality pictures, but lock tab to prevent lens from extending when camera is carried is useless after several uses. Spend a little more money and avoid the hassle.
This lens is a close to a "does it all" lens that you could ask for. The only wish I could have for this lens would be the addition of image stabilization. Otherwise I find it a wonderful walk around and vacation travel lens for my camera. I don't go anywhere without it.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Does as advertized, Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Disclaimer: I am a hobby shooter for a couple years now. Main target is my baby daughter, and some scenery/nature and candid shots when chance present itself. Just got this Tamron lens today. I was looking for something to replace my Sigma 17-70 because 70mm is not long enough for face close up on my baby, which is such a pity since there is nothing more beautiful in this world than the natural expression from a baby, laughter, tear, tension, curiosity, cunning, what have you. After much research, I decided to try my luck on this Tamron. I thought of the 18-200 Sigma with VR, but based on my most recent lousy experience with my Sigma 24-70/2.8, I decide to give Tamron a try. I am glad I did so far.
Pro: Stop down, very sharp all around; wide open reasonable on the wide end (in case you don't want flash indoor), not so great on the long end, but not too horrible. Got a lemon copy of Sigma 24-70/f2.8 (which supposed to be pretty sharp, but...), the long end of this Tamron is somewhat better than the Sigma. My Sigma 17-70 is a gem on the other hand, its long end is far better than this Tamron (not a fair comparison of course, 70 vs 250. But my Canon 70-200/f4 is even way beyond this Tamron on the long end. With Canon Speedlite 580EX, 250mm works fine, but better scaling back. Color and Contrast is comparable to my Sigma 17-70.
Very reaonsable AF speed and accuracy under reasonable lighting (indoor, one 40w light). AF is quieter than my non-HSM Sigma as well and seems faster too. At 250mm in low light aiming on polished surface my Canon 350D seems to have trouble focus in spot mode, but switch to AUTO mode using all points, AF works again. Guess at f6.3 under low light it is a stretch for any lens anyway. In short, this Tamron's AF speed is somewhere between Canon USM/Sigma HSM and Sigma without HSM. Its AF on my 350D Rebel tends to hunt more at 250mm. But not as bad as I feared. I managed to shoot my daughter feeding birds on the beach without problems (lots of fast moving targets to cover).
Solid build quality. Far better than the Tamron 18-200 it replaces, which I tried in 2006, very loose and plasticy. The handling is smooth and free of glitch all around, focus ring, zoom etc. Again, its fit and finish fall between Canon L and rest. Sigma EX and regular lens use better quality material, feel more substantial to me (based on Sigma EX 10-20, Sigma EX 24-70, Sigma 17-70, and Sigma 170-500), but the Tamron's action is smoother than all my regular Canon lens (50/1.4, 18-55, 35-135) and Sigma, with the only exceptions of the Sigma 10-20 EX (which is really a gem itself) and the Canon 70-200/f4L. Even though the two barrels sticking out pretty far at 250mm, there is no wabbling whatsoever on my copy. All action are smooth and easy to control, without sudden move or surprises (loose spot etc).
Tamron has a very smart design on its lens cover, got an inner ring one can pinch in to lock/unlock the cover on and off the lens with. This is very important if you have a deep lens hood. Canon 70-200/4L or Sigma 170-500, for example, is next to impossible to get the lens cover off with the hood on. So I end up going around without the lens cover on often times, which is bad for many reasons. Tamron's design is simple and yet extremely effective. Hope Sigma and Canon will follow the example in the future. I've only seen one other point/shoot Kodak camera used the same comcept on its cover. What a pity!
Con: Zoom creep is a real problem for this one. My first lens to have such a problem in the real world. My much bigger Sigma 170-500 doesn't have problem this bad. This Tamron got a very smooth zoom action but when I am holding the camera in any downward pointing position, the lens will extend, which is dangerous in the fields. So I have to hold the camera with at least one finger push against the lens so it won't creep while walking around (I only use hand belt for my 350D Rebel). This lens feels like wearing my pants without the belt. I suppose I will get used to it over time. Sigma's zoom tends to be too tight and cause sudden movements. This Tamron is not loose or wabbling, but the zoom is just too eager to stick out on its own. The lock is only helpful when the lens is not in use. But for many the very reason one wants to have such a wide zoom is to have the flexibility to shoot at time any where. So using lock and unlock in the field may not fit the use pattern of this particular lens. The best design I've seen so far is the Canon 70-200/f4, the lens doesn't extend at all, so there's nothing to creep!
The lens hood came in the bag is of horrible quality, every time I put it on/off, I am worried about breaking it into small pieces (that is a different feel than breaking it into halves). Canon got the best hood (expensive too, usually sold separately), feels unbreakable. Sigma feels brisk, if you drop it it might break into halves, but still strong and solid. This Tamron? eh! Hope this the exception rather than the rule for Tamron lenses. Local dealers don't carry Tamrons here so I have no other Tamron for comparison.
Wishes - the long end could be better, f6.3 is a handicap, the less than perfect IQ at 250mm in general sure has much room for improvement. If Tamron could build a 18-250/f2.8-4.5 with better IQ, I wouldn't mind if it doubles the price of this one.
Bottom line - this is a consumer grade lens for regular Joes who don't blow up their shots to wall size. So it works fine for what it is. As others mentioned else where, Canon L usually got better IQ all around when blown up on computer screen (the bigger the better, mine's 24"), but when printed on 12-10 (my regular size), the difference really is minimal. I think I hit a gem on this one. Now I can save the Sigma 17-70 for backup in case this one broke. (Canon 35-135 and 18-55 are of lower IQ based on my experiences). This Tamron is definitely good for outdoor day light shots, indoor with a high power flash works too. Only thing is my 350D is not very smart with the 580EX flash, tend to over flash in auto mode, manual setting is tedious (done on the flash, not on camera). I didn't feel the need for IS, IS is uesless on fast moving babies anyway. I tried to use 35-135 to replace 17-70. But I have to miss too many baby action shots. 17-70 on the other hand made me miss too many of her wonderful expressions I simply couldn't get close eough to take. Now this one seems to be perfect for my purposes. Some suggested that using this lens on a DSLR is no better than a Canon Powershot. I tried those big zoom point/shot from Canon/Kodak/Panasonic, etc, in the hope that I'd find a cheap all-in-one for daily quick shots. The results from those are several steps lower than this Tamron/Canon 350D combo. Color and contrast, sharpness, exposure consistency, flash, high ISO, etc. Simply there is no substitution I could find from the point.shot world for my nowadays cheapo 350D/Sigma (not Tamron) combo. 40D probably would do even better. But I am glad I saved the camera upgrade money and bought this lens instead. I did some side by side test shots using the 40D in local store against my 350D in identical condition, the difference is far from conclusive for a $1300 upgrade to me. For example at ISO 1600, the 40D is only marginally better than 350D. The new 9 pt AF didn't feel much better than my poor 7 pointer on 350D under low light if at all, no difference under brighter light. Nikon is boasting some break-through in really high ISOs with its upcoming top dog DSLR, but I'll believe when I tried it with my own hands. Oops, of the topic a Bit.
So if you do a lot of worldly mundane shooting and just love doing it, give this Tamron a shot!
Happy shooting.
P.S. the title line was meant to be a compliment - in today's world, very few product actual does as advertized. They usually promise too much. But this Tamron is not a disappointment for me. Far from it. This is my first Tamron. Now I think it's a very promising start...
Excellent all round lens!!, Thursday, 14 February 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I must say I am not one to write reviews but felt compelled to write one after taking pictures with this lens. I purchased this lens because I spend a lot of time by the sea and didn't want to have to be changing lenses and risk getting sea blast or dust inside of the camera. This lens is the perfect all round lens for a vacation or just shooting around the place ... AF is quick and dead on!
TERRIFIC - ALL IN ONE LENS, Tuesday, 05 February 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I BOUGHT THIS LENS TO REPLACE TWO OTHER LENSES, AN 18 - 55 mm AND A 75 - 300 mm. I COULD NOT BE ANY HAPPIER WITH THE RESULTS I AM GETTING. WITH THIS LENS I DON'T HAVE TO CARRY 2-3 DIFFERENT LENSES WHEN I GO HIKING. THE LENS DOES HAVE SOME SMALL SHORT COMINGS BUT OVERALL IT DOES A GREAT JOB..........I CERTAINLY DO RECOMMEND THIS LENS
Tamron makes a great lens that is light weight and has great photo flexibility. This lens is great for when you want to carry just one lens. It allows you to take excellent close-ups and also gives you a great zoom. This is my second Tamron lens and I love both of them. At one time, I carried several lenses, some very cumbersome. Now I can get away with one lens for most of my travel photos.
This is a great lens for the amateur digital photographer. It has terrific wide angle ability with very little Vignetting. While it's a bit slow, meaning you need pretty good light indoors, it was still able to handle all of my holiday shots with no problems. The major advantage is that you never have to change your lens out, meaning no missed shots and no dust in the camera body. It's able to shoot from 18 inches away to quite far off with the telephoto. It's also light and very compact, making it the perfect lens for travel photography or carrying around town.
Why no 5th star? It's not a perfect lens. In order to have the wide range in such a compact size and weight, there were some compromises made. There's going to be a bit of distortion and vignetting, but it's not bad, and is actually far better than I was prepared for.
auto focus doesn't work well at wide end, Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
1.3
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
I bought this lens in May 2007. I have used it quite a bit. I liked the zoom range 18 to 250mm is the sweet range for a all-in one zoom. I also have 3 Canon lens and had a Sigma lens (28 to 300). Well this fall I took the Tamron only on a trip along the Blue Ridge Pkwy. I started to notice it would de- focus as I zoomed out for wide angle shots - when I got back I found over half my shots were out of focus- since most were wide angle (45 to 18 mm). I tested the camera (Canon 20D) with all my lens and found the Tamron 18 to 250 Di II was just auto focusing way off and then of course it will only shoot while it is out of focus (because it thinks it is in focus). You have to switch to manual focus at anything under 45mm - I called Tamron and sent it in for warranty repair they recieved it on 11/02 and I got it back today 12/12. It doesn't do any better- it almost seems they just held on to it for a month and sent it back. My brother has a Tamron 18-200mm on a Nikon (digital) and I tried it a couple weeks ago and found it too does the same thing- maybe not quite as bad. I tried all the focus adjustments I had on the camera to no avail. The best way to focus it is to zoom out to 250mm in autofocus let it focus then switch to manual focus (don't touch the focus ring!) and slide down to wide angle to keep it in the proper focus. This is not what I expected from a 500.00 lens and I guess I'll call Tamron again- but I doubt I'll get any satisfaction- I was happier with the focus on the Sigma but I sold it when I got the Tamron- and I really wanted the extra wide angle 18 vs. 28mm. I like the Canon lens but they are so exspensive and they don't offer a 18 by 250 or even 18 by 200mm. I wonder if anyone else has had a similiar problem with Tamron lens autofocus at wide angle?
Good picture quality, flimsy design, Friday, 07 December 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
2.0
I own several Canon lenses but they all lack the range of the Tamron 18mm - 250mm. I like the picture quality as well as the versatile range but I find the lens flimsy when compared to my Canon lenses. When reversing the hood from storage to use, it doesn't line up and click on as accurately as my Canon hoods. I often find myself cross-threading the hood which will probably cause it too wear out and strip prematurely.
The best walk around/travel lens for Canon Digital, Monday, 29 October 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I have purchased many products through Amazon, but this is the first time I have felt compelled to write a review. As a long time, non-profesional, photographer I have several Canon EF lenses, but the Tamron 18-250mm is the only lens I have used since it arrived about a month ago. It is light but not cheaply made. It feels precise and solid in my hands. The images are very sharp, especially up to 200mm. Even the extreme 250mm end of this lens produces great prints. If there is a wider range, sharper lens made for Canon mounts at anywhere near this price I don't know about it. If you want a lens that does it all, that you can leave on the camera for nearly all your normal shooting requirements, and is a bargain to boot, buy this one.
Great travel/walk-around lens, Friday, 19 October 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I've had this Tamron lens on my Canon 30D for two months now. I'm very impressed and happy with the lens. For my amateur, home/family needs, it is a very good compromise between convenience (18-250 range, or 28-400mm considering the 30D's 1.6x field of view factor) and image quality. It focuses fast and relatively quietly (of course not as near-silent as Canon's USM lenses, but far quieter than, say, my Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens!), and the included lens hood is a bonus that'd have set me back another $20-30 for a non-L Canon lens.
The only gripe I have about the lens is the zoom creep (the lens barrel extending on its own when the camera's pointing down, such as when you're looking at the LCD screen). There's a lock switch on the lens to stop this, but you can only lock it at the 18mm end. So, setting this lens at a zoom range pointing up or down might be a problem, unless you help it by using a rubber band or a velcro strap over the barrels.
I'm still giving it 5 stars because despite the zoom creep, the lens works very well for me. The convienence, image quality, and the price all combine to make it a superb product for me. Oh yeah, the six year warranty helps, too (Canon only provides 1 year).
It is not as sharp as I wish. but not bad at all. The range is amazing. I compared the sharpness to canon 70-300 IS and they were identical. This is no L quality lens but the fact that I don't have to change lenses is great. I am not sure about this comment but either Canon's 250MM is showing 275MM or Tamron 250mm is really 225mm. What I sure about is at the same distance Canon has a higher magnification. Overall, I recomend this lens 100%.
Impressed with this lense, Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
Overall I like this lens. I wanted a good general purpose lens for vacations and sports shots of my son playing baseball. I was very tired of switching lenses between wide-angle and telephoto. I tried the Sigma 28-300 f/3.5-6.3 lens and was disappointed, the images were just not very sharp. I then tried this lens and was happy with the sharpness and overall image quality. Of course there are better lenses out there but with the range of this lens and the cost I would rate it a good buy.
