BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Digital Cameras and Accessories

New Tamron 18-270mm Lens

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November 12, 2008

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November 12, 2008

The various superzooms are not nearly as sharp as their more limited brethren, due to the compromises that have to be made to get a lens with a focal length range of 15x.

If you really want good image quality, get a good wide to moderate telephoto lens, like the 17-55/2.8 Tamron or 18-50/2.8 Sigma macro (not the non-macro version). Get something from 50-135 or 50-150, again with a wide aperture (f/2.8) from either the camera manufacturer, or a good third party like Sigma or Tamron. Leave the 18-50/17-55 on the camera, and only change to the longer telephoto when the situation calls for it. You'll get much better photographs.

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November 20, 2008

With film, the focal length range is fine; with the 30D it's terrible as there's no wide angle possibility. My 28-200 mm zoom, however, served me well on trips to the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, the Greek Isles, Italy and several National Parks. All extra room in my gadget bag was used for film.

On this years trip to the Southwestern National Parks, I looked into borrowing my son's 18-250 mm Tamron zoom for his 30D [I recommended this purchase combo.] I decided not to use the lens because it has a 62 mm filter and all my other lenses have filter sizes of 52, 58, 67, 72 and 77. I had wonderful results [from a focal range perspective] with the my Canon 17-85 mm IS zoom.

The Tamron 10-270 IS zoom uses a 72 mm filter. As such, if I were to consider a new lens, I'd buy it in a heartbeat - based on my experience with the 28-200. But, all of these zooms lenses have a major drawback - they all are just too slow. Most have a variable aperture range of f/3.6[4.0] - f/5.6. Like it or not, selective focus is damn near impossible at these aperture settings.

So, a better choice might be the Tamron f/2.8 17-50 mm lens. Use whatever you have for longer focal lengths. Go for the constant f/2.8 of the Tamron.

One other thing, the argument that aftermarket lenses are not as good as those from specific camera manufacturers went down the tubes years ago. Several Nikon lenses are manufactured by Tokina [you can't tell them apart.] I'm not sure about Canon - but, the Canon 28-200 mm zoom [for film cameras] was panned by the critics, who loved the Tamron.

If you think you want to carry just one lens, by all means get the Tamron. But, Jon is probably correct about the two lenses you/he listed. So, use them and buy the Tamron 17-50 mm.

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November 21, 2008

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November 26, 2008