Tamron LD B003 18 mm-270 mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC Aspherical IF AF Lens For Nikon

Great alternative to the Nikkor lens.

PROS: Lower price than the Nikkor, great zoom, great image quality, excellent image stabilization, perfect for outdoors. Did I mention great super zoom?

CONS: The size interferes with the built-in flash. When taking photos with the built-in flash at 18mm, the bottom part of the photo has a shadow (caused by the lens size). It is a little stiff when zooming in at about 100-150mm, but you can get used to it. Very heavy.

But paying more for Nikkor just to have a smooth zoom feel, it's just not worth the extra $$$$ use the extra money to get other accessories (like a flash).

This lens replaces a Tamron 28-300 f3.5-6.3 Di LD which in itself is an outstanding lens also, I just wanted the extra width of the 18mm and the image stabilization. The Tamron 18-270mm VC (Vibration Compensation) fits the bill for my needs perfectly albeit considerably larger and a bit heavier than my previous Tamron. I am guessing the wider lens and stabilization technology is the reason for the extra bulk. So far the lens is amazing, producing sharp images with a nice soft background when zoomed in on subjects. The long end is good but does take a while to focus, stabilization works well. On the wide end there is some minor distortion but not bad enough to render unusable. So far I have not noticed any lens creep, I always lock it when at 18mm. Overall the lens is a good upgrade and I am satisfied with it.

I bought the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 DI II VC LD ASPH IF for Canon three months ago and was immediately impressed with the quickness of supply.

This lens is replacing my 70-300mm Tamron lens and I will never look back. The VC option is a great feature when doing landscape pics or family pics. Its virtually silent in its operation and the range of view from 18-270.. covers everything you could ask for. The pictures taken so far will be remembered always. My wife who has little interaction with these lenses loves it too. My only complaint is that the barrel takes some twisting when going from the wide angle to zoom. Other than that a great buy and awesome lens.

The convenience factor of having this lens is great - you don't have to switch between two lenses - the quality is good for what I need, which is amateur photography - I don't have the skills yet to address the more technical aspects - the lens is known for getting stuck when you get to 200mm-270mm - it means you have to use a little more force to move it higher which can be frustrating but I think I can get used to it but if you're looking through the lens while you're trying to get that high, it's annoying b/c you don't know if you've really reached 270 or not.