27 Oct
2011
Posted in: Equipment Reviews
By    5 Comments

First Impressions: Tamron AF18-270MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD


Tamron recently sent me their new AF18-270MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens for testing and review. This lightweight 15x zoom lens is perfect for travel and street photography, and for nature photographers looking for a flexible, all-in-one solution and good value for their money. I used the lens quite extensively during a recent trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, and had a chance to test it on a variety of landscape and nature subjects. I’ll be testing the lens for the next few months as well, so more comprehensive reviews will appear at later dates, but for now I’ll give you my first impressions.

I should disclose up front that Tamron is compensating me for my time testing, reviewing, and writing about the lens. Despite the fact that I have a financial relationship with Tamron, I will at all times try to remain impartial and objective. I’ll let you know what I like about the lens, and what I don’t, and if there are any significant problems.

"Rainbow Bridge" - Acadia National Park, Maine

"Rainbow Bridge" - Acadia National Park, Maine

When I test a new piece of equipment, I ask myself whether its quality and design limit my artistic choices, or whether it gives me the flexibility to pursue my creative vision. Also, I try to remember that not everyone is using their equipment professionally—what I might deem as not adequate for my demanding uses may be perfectly fine for someone who is less hard-core about photography than I am. Furthermore, I try to keep in mind what a piece of equipment is intended for: I don’t really see the point of criticizing a hammer for not being able to drill holes.

"Cobble Beach" - Acadia National Park, Maine

"Cobble Beach" - Acadia National Park, Maine

As someone who is incredibly picky about my equipment, I have to admit I was rather surprised to find that I really enjoyed shooting with this lens. As it is built for cropped-sensor cameras, I was unable to use it on my Canon 5DII (well, I can use it on the camera, I just have to crop away the edges), so I borrowed a friend’s 7D. I suddenly felt liberated, as the setup was much lighter and much more flexible than my 5DII and the two heavy lenses I use to cover the same focal range (the lens has a 35mm equivalent range of 28mm to 419mm). Having a zoom lens that can go from wide-angle to long telephoto in a split second really got my creative juices flowing. Although I wish it could have gone a little wider on the wide end (I’m a wide-angle guy), I found myself zooming in on intimate details, such as reflections of autumn color in the water, much more than usual.

"Reflections in the Tarn" - Acadia National Park, Maine

"Reflections in the Tarn" - Acadia National Park, Maine

I’m inherently skeptical about “all-in-one” zooms, as image quality is often sacrificed in the name of flexibility. The Tamron 18-270mm, however, seems to have good image quality at all focal lengths. Although not quite as good as some of my pro lenses, I think it is fair to say that this little lens won’t let you down. I did notice some chromatic aberration, which is not uncommon with many lenses, is an easy post-processing fix, and therefore not a deal-breaker by any means. I’ll save more extensive image quality testing for later reviews of this lens.

In terms of build quality, the lens is lightweight and although made with plastic components, appears quite solid. It has a twist zoom mechanism that seems to have the proper amount of tension to avoid “zoom creep” when pointed down on a subject. If you point the camera up, however, keep a steady hand on the zoom ring as at certain focal lengths the weight of the front elements will push the lens down into the unzoomed position. I will have a chance to test the lens photographing wildlife in late November, so I’ll see if this becomes a major issue or not. I haven’t had a chance to test the lens’ autofocus or vibration control yet (when shooting landscapes, I prefer to manually focus and turn off the vibration control).

"Autumn Dance" - Acadia National Park, Maine

"Autumn Dance" - Acadia National Park, Maine

Coming in at $629 at B&H Photo for either the Canon mount or the Nikon mount, it is a bit more expensive than many “prosumer” lenses. Considering the focal length range, and the fact that the lens has good image quality, vibration compensation, and ultrasonic autofocus drive, I think you still get a pretty good bang for your buck. That said, it is a bit more of an investment than many casual shooters might be used to.

Overall, my initial reactions to this lens are very favorable. I think it would make a great lens for many casual and even serious amateur nature shooters, especially those who travel a lot. I’ll be continuing to test the lens in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Some pertinent specs:

Minimum Aperture: f/22 ~ f/40 (18mm-270mm)

Minimum Focus Distance: 19.3in.(0.49m) (entire zoom range)

Macro Magnification Ratio: 1:3.8

Filter Diameter: ø62

Weight: 450g (15.9oz)

Mounts: Canon, Nikon, Sony

About Ian Plant (334 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.


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5 Comments

  • Lance Warley October 27, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Very interesting post, Ian.

    First let me get the drool of envy comment out of the way – Autumn Dance is to die for.

    Now, back to the lens. Along with Canon’s 17-40 and 24-105, I take the 100-400 with me on trips. I take it for two reasons: 1-Wildlife (it’s the longest lens I own); 2-landscape shots beyond the 105′s reach.

    The 100-400′s big advantage for me, although much maligned by many, is the autofocus is fast enough for bif.

    Its disadvantages are weight, 48 oz, and lack of sharpness when stopped down (probably past F11) to get greater dof.

    The Tamron’s light weight is very, very appealing. A negative is it’s max aperture at 270 is 6.3, vs 5.6 for the Canon. Sounds small, but it’s a big difference on animals at first/last light. Also, stating the obvious, 270 is a lot less reach than 400 on the same body.

    I’ll be interested in your impressions of its autofocus speed on bif. I hope you test it with and without IS or VR or whatever Tamron calls it, because it definitely slows down autofocus, so the benefits are a trade-off.

    Thanks, Ian.

  • Ian October 27, 2011 at 10:18 am

    Hi Lance, always good to hear from you. I’d hesitate to say that the Tamron would be a good alternative to those lenses. If you are a serious shooter like yourself, and shooting a lot of wildlife, I’d stick with what you have. For someone who is less serious, or for someone looking for a lightweight, relatively inexpensive all-around travel zoom, the Tamron seems to fit the bill perfectly.

  • Bob October 27, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Ian, it is clear that Tamron has paid a number of pros to “review” this lens and, frankly, that doesn’t sit well with me. Trey Ratcliffe (stuckincustoms)declined the offer and had a good discussion of the associated ethics his site.

    Nonetheless, I want to commend you on your review because (1) it begins with a full disclosure of the relationship and (2) the review is actually quite balanced. I appreciate that you do not hesitate to call them as you see them. I have seen at least one other review of this lens, from another pro paid to write about it, that was nothing more than an veiled advertisement for the lens. I lost a lot of respect for that guy.

    Keep up the good work.

    • Ian October 27, 2011 at 1:57 pm

      Hi Bob, thanks for your thoughts on the matter. Of course, paid endorsements are nothing new, are quite common in the market at large, and have been around for decades in the photo industry. Plenty of big name pros in the past have been sponsored (either paid, given free equipment, or both) by equipment manufacturers – in fact, I dare say, in the past just about all the big name pros were sponsored. Such arrangements are less common today, but they still exist, and likely always will.

      Personally, I don’t really see it as an issue of “ethics” one way or another, so long as one discloses what is going on. If a company wants to compensate me for the time I spend testing, reviewing, and writing about their product, that makes more sense to me than being asked to review a product for nothing – I am, after all, a professional photographer, and time is money, as the saying goes. That said, full disclosure of the relationship is important. That way, people, if they so choose, are free to discount what I say.

      That said, I wouldn’t have agreed to write a review if I thought the lens was a dog. I frequently use third party lenses on my cameras, and have in the past owned several Sigma and Tamron lenses, many of which I have liked very much. I’ve also owned quite a few Canon pro lenses that I don’t care for. I think Tamron is a good company and they make good lenses, great alternatives for folks who are hobbyists or looking to save some money. And some of their lenses are truly pro-class pieces of glass.

      So, I guess the bottom line about my reviews of the Tamron lens is this: folks can take them or leave them. As with everything else I write. Yep, I’m getting paid for my time to review and write about the lens. If people don’t like that, then by all means they should seek other opinions. I’ll do my best to make sure that the reviews are as honest and thorough as possible. This first review was just a casual initial reaction; for my future reviews, I plan to test the Tamron lens head-on with some of my Canon L lenses that overlap its focal range; folks will get a chance to see how the lens performs and make their own judgments.

  • subroto mukerji December 26, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    I really liked this practical, no-nonsense review clearly specifying its usefulness for people who are into photography for fun and for whom its creative outlets are more important than stunning (pro-level) results. Please do send me all your posts / reviews, I like your way of presenting things. I have ordered my lens online (I am in New Delhi, India) and hope to get it before the new year starts !

    Thanks and a Very Happy New Year to you, Ian !


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