Review Friday’s

I like to unwind by getting one last bit of new information before my weekend.

For this first product review I have chosen a newer lens on the market. Please also note: this is for Canon as well as Nikon users; that way anyone can be interested.

The lens is Tamron’s 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC. Tamron has had a 28-300mm for quite a few years now, but this new glass is changing lenses all together. The ability to photograph a wide scene fitting in the 18mm range is always great… especially if you know in a ½ of a second you could be at 270mm. One of the high points to this lens is that it is set for cameras like the D200-D300 etc. (Nikon) 40D-50D etc. (Canon) however this lens would be a poor choice for any digital full frame sensors (ie. Nikon D700, D3, Canon 5d Mark II)

As a photographer you need to know what you have and where you picture yourself, photographically speaking, in the future. Are you eventually going to own a full frame camera? If so then this lens would be a waste of money… the range is beautiful the f stops… not so much. When one chooses to purchase a full frame sensor camera body the amount you’re spending should be 100% usable. If you are willing to invest that kind of money in your camera body a fast lens is even more worth it to you. The typical f2.8 lenses you find for both Nikon and Canon are strong materials and will last a number of years! Therefore, I find, making it worth the money to ensure your full potential, earned, by owning a full frame sensor.

Tamron has truly produced an amazing product here! The range is more than accommodating for most situations. There is one aspect lacking in this lens, and that would be the overall speed (or aperture) of the lens. At 18mm f3.5 isn’t very hard to work with, but at 270mm f6.3 being the most open it can be could be frustrating for users of the lens. Although, Tamron is strictly a lens company, therefore they have come up with three ways to persuade Nikon  and Canon users to choose Tamron’s products. 1) Tamron has applied their Vibration Compensation technology to the lens from 18-270mm. This means users have up to a 4 stop correction from lack of light or camera shake. 2) MONEY! Nikon  has produced a lens with the range of 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and an average price of $789.99 while Canon has also produced a lens, range: 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and an average price of $699.99. The Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC is running at an average price of 629.99 and with the extra 70mm added to the full focal length, that is an awesome deal.
 3) Tamron’s Lock feature, this is the one thing that really caught my eye. This lock is a switch located 90⁰ from the Vibration Compensation switch, the lock will hold your selected focal length in place. I have been working with the 18-200mm Nikkor and find if I let the lens out to 75-100mm and need to move in a way where my lens point toward the ground, gravity lets out the lens to its full capacity of 200mm. By the time I raise my camera back to my eye and think I’m just about set I notice the lens has slipped again. Tamron’s Zoom Lock Feature prevents this unpleasant inconvenience.

Overall, for the cost, range, features, and ease of use the Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC is a great and very useful lens. It is near perfect for outdoor wedding photography and street photography.

Get shooting! Tell me about the products you use.