Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.
- Tamron 18-270mm
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The Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras is the lens that currently holds the record for longest focal length range of any product on the market – with a staggering 15x zoom capability.
Image quality – Rating: 
Build quality – Rating:
Ease of use – Rating:
Lens features – Rating:
Value for money – Rating:
On paper the raw figures are impressive to say the least, but does the Tamron deliver on more important attributes like image quality, sharpness and usability?
Unfortunately there is always a balancing act that has to be made – one awesome feature may come at the expense of 3 lesser known features. In other words, you can’t have it all and the Tamron 18-270 is no exception to this rule.
It suffers from questionable wide-open image quality and you really have no idea whether you are going to get a good copy of the lens until after you’ve bought it.
Tamron 18-270mm compromises
As I said earlier, every lens that is put into production has a weighted compromise and technology – things such as size, weight, price, focal length range, reliability, ergonomics, image quality, autofocus performance and build quality.
The Tamron lens has a decent overall image quality without being outstanding and image sharpness is equally as reasonable at f/8. However unlike a lot of other higher quality lenses, the sharpness won’t get any better by stopping down as you might expect.
It also has the obvious advantage of being versatile, and for some photographers this is a more important consideration than the nitty-gritty details about lens performance.
The 18-270mm is basically two lenses in one and is still smaller than the Canon 17-55mm IS – it just gives you that great flexibility whilst out in the field or during a vacation.
On the other hand, some of the things you will have to put up with are noticeable barrel distortion wide open as well as a sticky and cumbersome focus ring. Several people have commented that it can be hard to find infinity focus because there is such a small amount of play between the minimum focus distance and infinity.
In other words, there is hardly any turning of the focus ring on your part before you have covered the whole spectrum – which makes obtaining precise readings a hassle.
The auto-focus system is also clunky and quite noisy to say the least, and like it or not there can be quality control issues.
What others are saying about the Tamron 18-270 for Canon
Mary Jo Sminkey from Durham, NC had a philosophical approach to her appraisal of the lens. She basically says that it is never going to be as good as an L lens but it does have a place in the market and does serve a purpose even if the overall performance is not top-shelf:
I give the lens 5 stars, not because it takes the greatest photos you will ever see, but because it is the first super-zoom I have tried that performs good enough that I am willing to use it, as a best-in-its-class lens.
It’s a perfect lens in particular for any new DSLR owner that can’t afford to invest thousands in really high quality and/or multiple lenses, or for someone like me that is often limited in the equipment they can carry at one time.
The lack of smoothness in the zoom ring and the creep are the primary annoyances for me, but I’ve yet to use a long telephoto lens in this price range that doesn’t creep, so hard to be really tough on it for that.
I wouldn’t use it as my primary sports lens (my f/2.8 will do that job far better) nor as an architectural wide angle lens but for a general all-purpose casual lens, it’s got a great feature set and well worth considering.
Read the rest of this review here
Conclusion and Tamron 18-270 price
At the end of the day, I cannot say if the Tamron 18-270 is for you or not – I can only make recommendations based on the information that is at hand. The ultimate decision is yours.
Overall Rating:
If you are excited about the super focal length range and have always wanted a lens like this, then I would be comfortable in saying that the 18-270 is a good enough piece of equipment to able to buy it based on this feature alone.
It is a great walkabout lens and as well as delivering admirable results, it will also save you weight and space in your camera bag. It will also save you money because it will negate the need for you to buy a second lens to make up for the shortfall in focal length coverage of your first lens. This is a true 2-in-1 package.\
Alternative options
If you are a more discerning photographer and you are prepared to give up 70mm of focal range then consider the Canon EF-S 18-200mm which in my opinion has a better compromise (there is that word again) between features and quality.
You may also wish to consider the Sigma 18-250mm which is more closely matched to the Tamron in focal range and has a better auto focus system. It is also a couple of hundred bucks cheaper.
