AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Model A18)

This is a very nice all-in-one travel lens. Before taking it on vacation I carefully compared it to my Canon 17-85mm IS and 70-300mm IS lenses when mounted on a 20D body. The Tamron becomes surprisingly sharp if stopped down one stop from wide open at any focal distance, with equal or better sharpness than the 17-85. From 18-50mm even 1/3 stop down produces excellent sharpness. It closely approaches the sharpness of the Canon 70-300mm lens from 70-135mm but falls behind increasingly at 200m and 250mm. The Tamron is still quite sharp and useful at even 250mm if stopped down but the Canon is just sharper at the same aperture settings. For the extreme 18-250mm range, the optics are outstanding. Photozone comparisons show this lens to be clearly superior to the earlier Tamron 18-200mm version. In fact, it's sharpness is equal to or better than the expensive Nikon 18-200mm VR lens (Nikon mount only) over all but the 200mm length where it's a close second. I attached the lens to my 20D and went to Hawaii for two weeks on two islands, shooting hundreds of pictures of landscapes, seascapes, parades, and macro-like closeups. Did I mention that this lens also focuses to about 18" even at 250mm - giving near macro capability. It provided outstanding pictures with eye-poping color and right-on autofocus - all in a lightweight package about the same size as the Canon 17-85mm. The only downside is the lack of IS, OS or VR (whatever Tamron wants to call it). At the wide end, with good sharpness at even f4, the lack of IS is no problem even in shady or heavily overcast areas. At 250mm, with a need to stop down to f8 or f9, means good natural light or a flash is needed for use without a tripod or other support. Hawaii provided lots of good light so this was not an issue.

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).

I had this lens for a couple weeks and used it with mixed results. My rating is based on understanding it's limitations due to lack of image stabilization and accepting them. If you have a surgeon's steady hands or always shoot in good light you will like this lens. Anyone else, read on to see if it's for you. First the good: I was happy with the overall appearance of my photos as long as I had enough light to keep the shutter speed high. The lens was fairly light for it's size, and easy to use and carry. I did not have any zoom creep. The zoom moved acceptably smoothly from wide to telephoto and back. The casing is plastic of course, but did not feel cheap. I was happy with the build quality. My photos were acceptably sharp across all focal lengths, with a little softness in the corners on some shots. Most of my shots were with aperature wide open or near wide open. I don't shoot test charts or newsprint. I'm basing my view on real-world shooting of people and wildlife, and some landscapes. I printed some sunsets @ 13x19 and they turned out beautifully. Now the not-so-good: There was some vignetting visible, especially in photos with smooth backgrounds such as blue sky. Not horrible, but noticeable, and fixable in Photoshop. There was also more colored fringing than I am used to. I guess that's common in super zoom lenses, tho. This was my first super-zoom so I definitely noticed the difference. Once again, correctable in Photoshop. Now the deal-breaker: Without image stabilization on this lens I was limited to shooting outdoors in good light or indoors with a flash. I simply could not hold the lens steady enough to avoid blur in many shooting situations. I ruined too many shots. I don't always have a tripod handy. The big selling point of a lens like this is versatility and ease of use. Unfortunately I could not use it successfully in too many situations. I knew when purchasing it that this could be a potential problem but I wanted to give it a fair try before shelling out the extra bucks for stabilization. I have since purchased a 70-300 IS zoom and am very happy with it. For me the IS makes all the difference. In summary, this is a good lens and an excellent value as long as you understand it's limitations and are realistic about how you will be using it. At the longer focal lengths you need good light, a flash, or some sort of bracing to achieve acceptable results. Otherwise, save your packaging because you'll be boxing it up again.

I bought mine as an open boxed item and got a good deal though now I see the priced has dropped on a new lens. This lens is an old design and one feature it is lacking is IS. But as an all purpose lens for an amateur, it is working out great. I was borrowing a Canon 70-300 lens from my brother which was nice! I thought about purchasing it, but it was considerably higher priced. One of the features that I wished the Canon lens had was wide angle. The Canon was a great zoom lens otherwise. This is my compromise of getting a decent wide angle and zoom at a good price but without IS. I otherwise have my kit lens for my Canon Rebel XT which this lens now covers and a 50mm f1.8 which I like because it is a fast lens. The compact design of this lens is nice also as compared to the Canon.

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