I've been using a Tamron SP 24-135 as my main lens for some time now. This is a nice lens, some people claims the optical quality is comparable to some of Canons L lenses. DOn't know if this is true, but I'm pretty happy with it. However, I think 24mm is a bit too narrow and have been looking for something wider. Some time ago, I read about the new Tamron 18-250/3.5-6.3. My first reaction was; this must be a piece of crap. A 14x zoom can't possibly be any good. However, I found some pretty good reviews, so I wanted to give it a try. I went to the local photo store and asked if I could try it. Took some photos with it and studied the photos. Wow, this wasn't too bad. So I decided to buy it. I have now taken about 500 pictures with this lens and I'm pretty surprised how good it is. Great as a holiday lens. It's pretty sharp through the whole zoom range. Autofocus works very well, faster than some lenses I got, but slower than Canon's USM lenses. Maximum apperture at 6.3 in the long end sets it's limitations when the light isn't too good. There is a little barrel distortion at 18mm, but on most photos you will not notice this.
What impresses me most is the versiability of this lens. Being able to go from 18 to 250 mm without changing lens is incredible. This year I will I will bring just this lens on my vacation in stead of the usual bag full of lenses.
What impresses me most is the versiability of this lens. Being able to go from 18 to 250 mm without changing lens is incredible. This year I will I will bring just this lens on my vacation in stead of the usual bag full of lenses.
About the photos: Both photos are taken from the exact same spot. You can see the monument in the upper photo, but it's not easy. The photos do not reflect the original quality before uploading to the web.
