Product Description

18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Tamron zoom lens with 35mm equivalent of 28-388mm * compatible only with Canon digital SLR cameras with APS-C (24mm x 16mm or smaller) image sensors -- not compatible with the Canon EOS 5D * advanced optical design with low-dispersion and hybrid aspherical glass elements for superior image quality * internal focusing * zoom lock mechanism to prevent unwanted barrel extension when carrying lens/camera combination * minimum focus distance: 17.7 in. * attachment/filter size: 62mm *

Product Details

• Brand: Tamron
• Model: AF018C-700
• Released on: 2007-01-15
• Dimensions: 2.90" h x 2.90" w x 3.30" l, .93 pounds

Features

• 18-250mm zoom lens with f/3.5-6.3 maximum aperture for Canon digital SLR cameras
• Offers telephoto capabilities of 28-388mm (35mm equivalent) in a single compact housing
• Low-dispersion (LD) glass eliminates chromatic aberration and sharpens ultra-long shots
• Maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5 for macro shots; minimizes ghosting and flare
• Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.3 inches long; weighs 15.2 ounces

Amazon.com Product Description
Tamron's high-power 18-250mm zoom lens is a photographer's dream come true. While conventional 35mm film cameras typically require two lenses to cover 28-388mm, the Tamron 18-250mm lens does it in one, with a 13.9x zoom level delivering enormous photographic freedom in a single compact housing. The life of a digital photographer has never been better.

Despite achieving the ultra telephoto capabilities of a 388mm lens (35mm equivalent), this Tamron zoom lens sports an extremely compact optical system. Unlike previous Tamron lenses, the lens optimizes the power distribution of the entire optical configuration without using XR glass, letting you achieve both ultra-high-power magnification and a minimal size. In addition to offering low dispersion (LD) glass to eliminate chromatic aberration and sharpen ultra-long shots, the lens offers such special materials as hybrid aspherical elements and anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to achieve three goals at once: increased magnification, compact size, and improved image quality.

Macro Photos and Fighting Glare
The Tamron 18-250mm is great for macro photos, too, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5 letting you fill the frame with a subject approximately the size of a business card. As a result, you can easily and conveniently enjoy close-up (macro) photography of flowers, insects, and more. Tamron has also adopted various countermeasures against ghosting and flare, common problems in digital photography. The lens employs internal surface coating and new multilayer coating technology to minimize reflections that occur when light enters through the front element, while also reducing image-degrading effects caused by the imagers themselves.

• Lens construction: 13 groups and 16 elements
• Diagonal angle of view: 75 to 6 degrees (33 to 23 feet)
• Horizontal angle of view: 65 to 5 degrees (36 to 19 feet)
• Vertical angle of view: 46 to 3 degrees (21 to 19 feet)
• Diaphragm blade number: 7
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Minimum focus distance: 17.7 inches
• Macro magnification ratio: 1:3.5
• Filter diameter: 62mm
• Accessory: Flower-shaped lens hood
• Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.3 inches long
• Weight: 15.2 ounces

Customer Reviews

Perfect daily or tourist lens
I love this lens. I just came back from a week long trip in Europe, where I tested this lens indoors and outdoors, day and night, with all sorts of subjects, and it performed wonderfully. I like to shoot with my Canon 30D handheld, which puts even more demand on the lens. I uploaded a couple of images as examples.

Pros:

- Awesome ZOOM range! It is so liberating to have this flexibility and not have to carry multiple lenses or change lenses outdoors (risk dust on sensor).
- Price is great, compared to what you can get from Canon and others.
- Focus is much quieter and faster than other reviews may indicate.

Cons:

- "Slow" apertures - can't compete with my Canon 50mm f/1.4 for flash-free night and indoor portraits, but given ISO 3200, this lens does well regardless.
- Does not fit some specialized needs such as super-wide-angle or stabilized super-tele-zoom. If you predominantly shoot in those ranges, you should do more research.

Conclusion:

If you want a one-lens solution for daily walking around, travel, etc, this Tamron 18-250 fits the bill wonderfully and I highly recommend it.

Much Better Than Expected - A Great Travel Lens
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.

Surprisingly Great
First I have to say that I rarely take the time to write a review unless the product really impresses me. Second I'm a pro photographer for a Newspaper in TX and I own several canon "L" lenses.
I shoot a Mark II at work and A digital rebel when I go hiking and such. I tried it on the Rebel and I doubt I ever put a different lens on that camera. It is a great little lens. Granted it is slow in low light but that aside, it is wonderful. Very little Vignetting at the wide end and very little Chromatic Aberration. It is really sharp all the way through the zoom range. Highly recommended!!