Tamron Lenses Canon

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses

Review Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses

Buy Cheap Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses From Here Now!
A Teleconverter is a great way to extend the focal length of your lens. This Teleconverter will extend the focal length of your lens by 1.4x giving more magnification. The Tamron Pro series Teleconverter offer superior optical construction for improved image quality.
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Technical Details

- Increases focal length from same camera position by 1.4x
- Superior performance for unsurpassed image quality and ease of use
- Fits easily between lens and camera body
- Includes carry case
- For use with Canon SLR cameras
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Customer Buzz

"Not quite what is advertised!!!" 2009-08-09
By D. Grgic
Bought this to use with my new Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm zoom. When I received the product my first surprise was that in the included spec document it stated: "This teleconverter is not designed for digital use. We do not guarantee its performance when used on Digital SLR cameras."

One would think that this is a rather crucial piece of information to warn people about on the Amazon site, given the amount of DIGITAL SLRs and associated equipment being bought...

The second surprise was that I could attach the converter to the camera OK, but neither the 250mm zoom nor the standard Canon 18-55mm zoom would fit on it.

In short, this MAY be a good teleconverter, but the information provided (from both Amazon and Tamron) to properly inform the buyer on what it is compatible with is very poor and misleading...

Customer Buzz

"Teleconverter and my Canon 70-200 f/4 L" 2009-07-13
By wid74
I attached the teleconverter to my Canon 70-200 zoom lens and Canon 30D camera. The fit of the teleconverter to the lens and camera seemed good.

I took a number of test pictures at different zoom settings which looked good on my PC. Also, the camera EXIF data showed the resulting focal length and f stop. For example when the lens f stop was set to f/4 the EXIF data showed a f stop of f/5.6 which is the correct f stop for the combination.

The lens was fine and somehow survived the poor shipping package - the teleconverter box was inside a slightly higher, and much wider and longer box so it was free to slide back and forth. (There was no additional cushioning material.) Once upon a time I was a shipping clerk for a stationery store & I would have packed a $5 glass paper clip holder better than the lens was packed.

Customer Buzz

"Tamron SP Autofocus 1.4x Pro Teleconverter Lens for Canon SLR Cameras " 2009-03-01
By S. Yen (Troy, MI USA)
I bought this lens from Amazon. It came with a solid build, and its color coating matches with Canon L lense. I tested it with my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens and Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens with a Canon Rebel XTi body. Auto Focus worked with both lens and produce quality pictures. Happy to have it.

Customer Buzz

"Tamron SP Autofocus 1.4x Pro Teleconverter Lens for Canon SLR Cameras " 2009-01-09
By Norman24 (Southern NH)
I was advised to buy this product from a PRO photographer and I'm very happy about it's performance... He said it works as good as the Canon model if not better... It was cheaper in price and I'm very happy with it...

Customer Buzz

"Good results" 2008-12-12
By gfkdipper (TX USA)
I've used the 1.4 teleconverter several times now with the Tamron 200-500mm zoom lens, and so far it is working great. Sharp photos, sufficient light. I do use a tripod with it, but then I used a tripod or some kind of stabilizer with this lens even without the teleconverter. The only issue I see so far is that I have to use the manual focus more often than I did without it.

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Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
Tamron's new SP AF 17-50mm F/ 2.8 acts RDI II VC covers the heavily used 17-50 MM focal distance range (angle of view equivalent of 26-78 MM when converted to the full frame format) making it an extremely versatile, high performance zoom lens. Achieving sharpness and striking contrast, the lens produces beautiful images that are enhanced by the shallow depth of field afforded by the maximum aperture F/2.8 and enriches the user’s range of photographic expression. The new lenses equipped with Tamron’s proprietary vibration compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism, which provides more opportunities for handheld photography, such as low light conditions like evening, night scenes and indoors, leading to dramatically enhanced level of photographic freedom. Technical specifications: focal length 17 - 50 MM: format size APS – C: maximum aperture F/2.8; minimum aperture F/ 32; diagonal angle of view 78 degree and 45 minute - 31 degree and 11 minute; lens construction 19 elements, 14 groups; minimum focusing distance 11.4-Inch (0.29m); maximum magnification ratio 1:4 0.8; filter diameter 72 mm; overall length 3.7 inches maximum diameter 3.13 inches; weight 20.15oz. 570g; diaphragm blades-seven; standard accessory flower shaped lens hood; Canon mount.
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Technical Details

- Compact Fast Zoom with VC (Vibration Compensation).
- Fast Constant F/2.8 Aperture.
- For use on APS-C size DSLR cameras.
- 11.4-Inch minimum focusing distance / 1: 4.8 Maximum magnification ratio.
- Internal Focusing.
See more technical details
Customer Buzz

"This is a night owl lens" 2010-02-11
By KamikazeAce
If you like low light photography this is the one lens you can get away with 1/2 shutter speeds and ISO 400 wide open. Before this I had the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 and I can tell you that to get such low shutter speeds I had to increase the ISO 1600 and wide open which produce unflattering grain on the pictures. I wish I had this lens for those situations. One note of caution tho and that is the recommended shutter speed to freeze people is 1/60. They have to stand very still for you to get any lower but this creates also some creativity. I have gone to car shows and taken pictures of cars at low shutter speeds and you can see people streaking by like in those magazine pictures. What I didn't like about the lens was a shown vignetting wide open which shows in bright day light when shooting the sky. I thought it was my lens but upon some further research on the internet I am not alone. It is a short coming of the lens but corrects itself by f4. I usually use vignetting correcting software. Nevertheless, this is a night owl's lens and I like shooting in low light so I am happy with it besides who is selling an f2.8 constant with some vibration control. In regards to the reach, well, I thought about it, 17-50mm is not much but then again if you go longer you will need to increase the shutter speed further. They probably thought of this. I will now put it to use in museums, car shows, festivals, the works. Happy shooting!

Customer Buzz

"I am not impressed at all with this lens" 2010-02-09
By Tayaran
OK, first I am not a professional photographer, but photography is my hobby and I have been doing for a while. My ratings are in line with my expectations from the lens, so please when deciding if you want to purchase this item take this into consideration. What did I need this lens for: basically just to take shots of my kids inside my house, lit with incandescent lamps. the 50mm f1.8 did not do it for me since my rooms are small and I am only able to take pictures of half the body shot. After looking around I wanted a lens that gives me a wide range and will work without flash in my environment. I used an XSI with this lens and I had to crank the ISO to 800. The first surprise was that the lens rotates in an opposite way to the Canon lenses I had, so this was awkward for a while. The lens is not very heavy which is good. I took about 150 pictures in the environment I described above and I was very very very disappointed. The pictures were very soft, no contrast and noisy (granted the noise is generated from my high ISO). At best I was able to get 1/30 from this lens which honestly I thought it would be a little bit faster. Again, I did not try it in broad daylight or outside because I already have my canon lenses for that. I ended up returning it.

Customer Buzz

"great lens" 2010-02-05
By Theodore Post
I've had this lens for three months and it is sharp. The lens is well made and the zoom works smoothly and quietly. I would highly recommend it

Customer Buzz

"Great upgrade over non-VC version, best bang for the buck!" 2009-12-28
By A. Malske (WI, United States)
I've been using Tamron 17-50mm non-VC version for about a 1.5 years and while I was upgrading XTi on 7D I decided to pull the trigger on VC version of the lens and placed a pre-order. Some reviewers, including the-digital-picture.com which opinion I highly respect mentioned that the lens isn't sharp wide open and generally quality is not as good as non-VC. I was extremely happy with non-VC and expected nothing less than amazing results from VC version. I had both of them for about a week and had a chance to compare side-by-side and do some tests.

So my tests revealed that my copy of VC is as good or in some instances better than my old non-VC (which was extremely sharp!). It's absolutely fantastic at 2.8 and there is a slight improvement stepping down. My guess is that people who commented on bad quality just got a bad copy.

It's not a Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM since it's doesn't have USM motor, but on VC version motor is much better, quieter and if VC is Off it's reasonably fast. Image quality wise I think this lens is very much on par with Canon so if you want to save a bit, have a 6 year warranty and have similar quality - go with Tamron!

Customer Buzz

"You will not be disappointed" 2009-12-22
By HDYjr.
I purchased this lens when it became available in late November and have had a few weeks to shoot with it. This lens is used in conjunction with a Canon Rebel T1i. I originally purchased the non-VC version of this lens but returned it after a week or so simply because I was not "WOWED" with its performance (relatively slow auto focus, somewhat soft wide open, color and contrast seemed a bit lacking and it seemed to produce more noise than other lenses I've used on this camera).

This lens has none of those problems. I really can't get over how well it performs in low-light situations. I get a lot of keepers at 1/5 of a second. It's really sharp also. I have a 5D Mark II and a few L lenses and I find myself picking up my Rebel and this lens more and more often. If you are considering this lens I recommend it 100%.

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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
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 *
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Technical Details

- 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
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Customer Buzz

"All-in-one zoom lens." 2010-01-24
By caldwin (Nashville, TN USA)
I have a Canon Rebel XTi digital camera and also a Sony DSC-H7

with a 15X optical zoom. For travel pictures I have always used

the Sony because it didn't require all the extra lenses. This

Tamron lens gives me the zoom range I need (14X) with the Canon

without having to take along a lot of other lenses.

[[ASIN:B000IBLMHQ Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical

(IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras]]

Customer Buzz

"Depends what you are looking for..." 2010-01-04
By Jephu (NJ, USA)
Is this a good lens? Yes. Is it right for you? It depends.

If you plan to do a fair amount of *outdoor* travel and want to zoom without swapping lenses, this lens is probably right for you. Why?

- This lens is much lighter than lenses with VR/OS (vibration reduction/optical zoom). If most of your shooting is outdoors, then you probably need a light lens more than you need VR/OS.

- The photo quality is good when zooming, as long as you have enough light to use a high shutter speed.

- I've found the focus to be relatively fast and quiet, which is nice when you are taking photos on the go.

- This lens is really dropping in price, so you'll save some bucks while still getting a good quality lens.

If you plan to shoot indoors or want to take the best pictures possible, this is probably not the best lens for you. Why?

- If you are traveling and want to take pictures indoors, consider going for a lens with an f stop of 1.8 or lower or at least getting a lens with VR/OS. The f stop only goes down 3.5 on this lens, and gets higher when you start to zoom.

- If you want to take the best picture possible and you are traveling and don't care about the weight, get a lens with VR/OS. This will help take clear picture when you zoom or are dealing with overcast.

- If you are not traveling and have all the time in the world, why not get a nice 50-200 zoom and just swap it in as necessary. You can get one that is a better quality and cheeper than this lens.

Hope that helps!

Customer Buzz

"Great Lens, Super Convenient, A Little Slow" 2009-11-23
By D. Patterson (Northfield, MN United States)
I love this lens, it was a Christmas gift last year. My only complaint is that my batteries SEEM to drain a little faster with it, and it focuses and takes photos a little slower than the original 18-55 lens. I also have a 75-300 lens. This lens is the best for general use, since I never have to switch anything or carry anything extra. I am not a professional, just an amateur that takes thousands of photos a year. With two little kids in tow, the convenience and versatility of this lens cannot be beat!

Customer Buzz

"Some trade-offs, but overall a good all-in-one lens" 2009-10-02
By DRC (Austin, TX United States)
In the 18-55mm range, I find that this lens mostly performs like the Canon EF-S 18-55mm that came with my Digital Rebel kit. It definitely has compromises, though, which were necessary to get the 13.8x zoom range into a single lens. The Tamron 18-250mm vignettes generally on f/4 and wider when you're at the wide angle end of the zoom range. The vignetting can be compensated for in Photoshop, but it becomes worse when a filter is attached. I have to be really careful if I use a polarizer to keep the aperture narrower than f/4. The sharpness at the far end of the telephoto range isn't the best, either. This article goes into that in some detail, comparing it to a Canon professional telephoto lens:

[...]

Generally, they're comparable at the center of the image, but the Tamron sharpness falls off significantly toward the corners when used at the telephoto end of the zoom range. This matches my observations.

As with all non-stabilized telephoto lenses, you really need a fast shutter speed to overcome camera shake at the far end of the telephoto range. I find that 1/320s or faster is generally adequate with this lens, but due to the narrow aperture requirement (f/6.3) at 250mm, it means that you really need a lot of light to take an effective telephoto shot at ISO 100. Since I take mostly landscapes, that's not normally an issue. If I were more into wildlife or people photography, however, it definitely would be.

[...]

I compared it specifically with this review of the EF-S 18-55 to convince myself that I wouldn't be losing any quality or functionality at the wide angle end of the zoom:

[...]

I'm not sure if I agree with their vignetting tests, though. I personally think the vignetting is worse with the Tamron.

All in all, the Tamron 18-250mm lens is a good travel lens and is an excellent choice for the back country, where weight is a major issue but a 3x zoom just won't capture everything you want. It takes great shots up to about the 150mm range and OK shots beyond this (tripod strongly recommended for 200mm and above.) I've taken great candid portraits and wildlife photos with it, although neither is really this lens' strength. In general, it's not going to give you the same results as a professional lens, but for those who need to travel light, it would be hard to find a better lens for the same weight.

Customer Buzz

"LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!" 2009-09-10
By Another Shopper (San Diego, CA)
I am so happy with this lens. It is everything I need all in one handy little package. Great for everyday shots at 18mm, then extends to fabulous zoom capability at 250 mm. It is only slightly less a lens than my Canon 300mm, but so much easier to have on my camera.

Images are sharp, crisp and clear. I don't know when I'll need to get another lens!

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD VC (Vibration Compensation) Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD VC (Vibration Compensation) Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD VC (Vibration Compensation) Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
Tamron's award-winning 28-300mm zoom now incorporates a state-of-the-art Vibration Compensation mechanism to insure blur-free hand-held images with 11X ultra zoom range in a remarkably compact size. Digitally Integrated design with 1:3 Macro (19.3 MOD) and a Zoom Lock for enhanced portability. Works with all Canon AF cameras.
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Technical Details

- State of the Art Vibration Compensation Mechanism (VC) reduces blurred images induced by camera movement
- Remarkably Compact at less than 4" long and weighing only 19.4oz.
- Revolutionary MFD of 19.3 throughout entire zoom range yeilding a 1:3 Macro Magnification Ratio
- Unique Zoom Lock Mechanism for Enhanced Portability
- Flower-shaped Lens Hood and 6 Year Warranty are included, accepts 67mm filters.
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Customer Buzz

"Nice for the price." 2010-02-16
By Aimee Starr (Kansas City, Missouri, USA)
I had to send the first one back because the VC didn't work and would lock up my camera functions. Apparently this is a mysterious problem with this lens and the Nikon D700 that has no correlation between the serial numbers & etc. This being a non Nikon brand lens, there is of course not much help or answers out there as to why this happens or what can fix the problem. The D700 just doesn't like certain lenses of this model. I did try it on my Nikon N65 film camera and it seemed to work fine. Amazon sent me a new one within three days, and I got it before I had time to mail off the "defective" one that didn't work on my D700! Great service, by the way!!! The 2nd one worked fine and I have been enjoying using it for a several months now.

Nice contrast, sharpness, and few aberrations. I will say the only draw back being the speed. #1 It takes quite a while for the auto focus to work on my D700 in low light, even with the annoying focus assisting light on the camera. #2 The 3.5 aperture is only available when you are at 28mm, so this limits your range of creative control. Because of these two factors, this is not the greatest low light/indoor/available light lens especially if you are shooting anything that is moving. Vibration control helps a little, giving you about 1 stop more when shooting hand held. If you want a fast and great low light lens go with the prime Nikon 85mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras or Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

Overall, the versatility of this Tamron 28-300mm, wide angle to telephoto zoom, with a short focusing distance, that is very compact and portable, with vibration control, is a good one for my general shooting needs. I have used this for portrait, architectural, landscape, nature, and food photography with great results.

Here's a list of minimum apertures at the focal lengths listed on the barrel:

28mm = 3.5

35mm = 3.8

50mm = 4.2

70mm = 5

100mm = 5.6

135mm = 6

200mm = 6.3

300mm = 6.3

Customer Buzz

"Blurry, blurry." 2010-02-15
By VY (Jordan)
I am quite disappointed with the lens. I was looking for something that would be light and versatile. This lens does not produce sharp images, especially if using zoom. The images look like if they were enlarged in Photoshop. I've tried many settings, including turning the VR off, with the camera on the tripod. The depth of field seems to be on an extreme side. It is way too shallow, to the point that you can't even take a picture of a face without some parts of the face being out of focus (blurry). Though it is does not have the range of the Tamron lens, I will go back to the original 70-200 Nikon lens. At least I know that the pictures will be sharp enough with the Nikon lens.

Customer Buzz

"Just what she needed" 2010-02-14
By Terence Russell (Glen Rose, Texas)
Perfect replacement for similar lens broken in an accident. My wife was pleased to receive it.

Customer Buzz

"Nice but broke..." 2010-02-11
By Neal K. Wagner (Maui, Hawaii)
The features and size of this lens are excellent, especially the wide zoom range (although it's zooms to a bit less than 300mm actually) and the stabilization. The clarity, although good, was not close enough to a Canon 300mm f/4 L IS lens to make it usuable.

And the stabilization, although very effective, failed after a few uses.

So it went back to Amazon which has a very convenient return system.

Customer Buzz

"Great all-around lens" 2009-09-28
By Thomas B. Barker (Rochester, NY)
When I traded my Canon 50D for the 5D Mark II, I had to surrender all my EF-s lenses and the Tamron 18-270 VC that had been my "walk around" lens. I had found this 18-270 to be better built than the Canon 18-200, so, based on this experience, it was only natural to add the Tamron 28-300 VC lens to my camera bag.

My first usage coincided with a 3 week visit to England that is only now ending. I packed both my Canon 24-105 L f/4 and the Tamron 28-300. I used both about 50% of the time with the 24-105 for close encounters inside castles and cathedrals where the extra wide angle was needed as well as the low light capturing of the f/4 aperture.

While it has been said that comparing a Canon "L" to other less costly lenses is like comparing caviar and hot dogs, I could not see any differences in the computer files that I posted to our travel web site. I'll examine the differences more closely when I get back home and begin making prints and putting together the book that will be published next year.

I am impressed with the smooth zooming of the Tamron compared with the somewhat sticky motion of the Canon. Of course, this is why there is a lock on the Tamron and I usually click it closed when walking around - otherwise, the barrel extends to the full 300mm setting and is awkward. The lock lever on this 28-300 is much easier to use than the lock on the 18-270 (which was a bit sticky and took a lot of coaxing to activate). So, I would say the build quality of the 28-300 is even better than the 18-270. Focus is very quick and the focus motor noise is not objectionable.

Tamron has done a very nice job of building a great super zoom, universal lens that meets my needs, is not too heavy and appears to make great images.

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
The SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 is a lightweight, compact, fast standard zoom lens designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras, expanding the product concept of the popular SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 zoom lens. In addition, portrait shots are made beautiful with the natural out-of-focus effect characteristic provided by the fast F/2.8 aperture. Additionally, a broader photographic expression through the use of faster shutter speeds as a result of the maximum aperture offers enhanced photographic pleasure. The lens boasts one of the best close-up shooting performances in the class of fast standard zoom lenses designed exclusively for digital cameras and featuring an F/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the entire zoom range, to ensure stress-free photographic shots at all focal lengths and distances.
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Technical Details

- 17-50mm aspherical zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon DSLR cameras
- Delivers fast shutter speeds and natural soft-focus effect to produce sophisticated results
- 3 elements of XR glass, 2 hybrid aspherical lens elements, and 1 element of LD glass
- Minimum focus distance of 10.6 inches; internal coatings eliminate ghosting and flare
- Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.3 inches long; weighs 15.2 ounces; 6-year warranty
See more technical details
Customer Buzz

"I'm not a Tamron fan but this lens is changing my opinion" 2010-02-23
By Keith M. Anderson (Moss Beach, CA United States)
This is not my first Tamron lens, I've had others that I've returned or re-sold after using for a while. Needless to say I'm not much of a fan. I don't know what prompted me to try them again, but I'm glad I did. I was previously using a Sigma 28-70 on an APS-C sensor dSLR. For routine shooting of family events, the Sigma was a bit too long of a focal length. I purchased this after considering other lenses made by Canon, Sigma, and Tokina. I read up on users' opinions of the lenses and decided that the Tamron was so widely loved and seemed to be such good value for the money, I'd give them one last shot.

The lens is now the one I shoot with for just about everything. I have an ultra-wide, a macro, and a tele with IS. I use each of those ones about 5% each, and this one about 85% of the time.

Why did this one change my mind?

The build quality is very good. The image quality is outstanding, with very crisp images even at f/2.8. Bokeh is lovely. It's perfect for travel if you can only take one lens. Its perfect for snaps of family indoors or out since the aperture is f/2.8 throughout the whole zoom range. Unlike the Tamron lenses like their 28-300 (for example), this lens isn't soft and doesn't have a beige cast to the photos, its contrasty and has good color rendition.

Nice job Tamron!

Customer Buzz

"I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could..." 2010-02-14
By S.S. (Lexington, VA)
I'm not sure I can add much to the very comprehensive reviews already submitted for this lens. Because there is already so much written about this lens, I'll try to keep this brief. By and large, I agree with others: this is a solidly built lens, it covers a very convenient "walk-around" focal range for a 1.6x APS-C DSLR, it has most of the features I was looking for, and it has very good optics.

Like many others, I was unwilling to shell out the dough for the comparable Canon model (17-55 IS), which would have cost me about two-and-a-half times more money. I also decided not to pay extra for the Vibration Controlled (VC) model, based on reports that the optical quality of the VC version was inferior. I opted for better sharpness and a lower price-point over the extra 3-stops or so of hand-held shooting that the VC offers (plus, I've heard that the VC is a bit loud in operation, but I've not tried one).

I've had the lens for only a few days, but my initial impressions are very positive. I did a quick comparison between this lens (at 50mm) and the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Wide open, the prime lens was much sharper in the corners, but the Tamron held its own in center sharpness. When the Canon was stopped-down to 2.8 (to equal the Tamron wide-open), the disparity was much more glaring; the Tamron wide-open at 50mm just cannot compete with the sharpness of the prime at f/2.8. But I think the Tamron's corner sharpness tends to fall off as you move outward in the zoom range, so corner softness seems less of an issue at the wider focal lengths. Stopped down to f/4, the Tamron starts closing the gap, and by f/5.6 or so, I would say the advantage is negligible (though still noticeable if viewed at 100%). My conclusion from this unscientific comparison? This Tamron is excellent glass. For an inexpensive zoom to compete with (even if not surpassing) the sharpness of a notoriously sharp prime lens is impressive (the 50mm 1.8 is pretty sharp, and it is exceptionally so for its price). Yes, corner sharpness lags a bit, but that is to be expected from a zoom that isn't priced at four digits or above. All things considered, including price, this lens performs very well in the area of sharpness, in my opinion. One other note about this comparison: the Tamron at 50mm was slightly wider than the Canon 50mm. This is neither good nor bad, just noteworthy.

Some other notes: build quality is sturdy. The lens mount is metal, and the barrel is plastic, but the plastic could be mistaken for metal. The lens does not feel cheap or chintzy--you can tell there is plenty of glass in there--but it is reasonably light-weight. It zooms fluidly but not sloppily: there is a good level of resistance in the zoom ring. I was pleasantly surprised with the focusing speed--pretty quick--and accuracy seems very good, too. But, focusing is a bit noisy, with a high-pitch buzz coming from the motor. Definitely not on par, sound wise, with the USM lens I replaced with this (but probably not quite as loud as the Canon 50mm f/1.8). Not a big deal for me, but if you wanted to shoot events with this lens (such as weddings), the focus motor will make it harder to remain inconspicuous.

Some other very minor nits: There is no full-time manual focus, and the focus ring turns during auto-focusing. This is not really a big deal, but I have to be careful not to interfere with the focus ring with my support hand during shooting. The lens is fairly compact, so if you have big hands you may need to train yourself to stay off the focus ring. I really with it featured full-time manual focusing. Also, while the lens is quite compact, it does grow 30-40% or so as it zooms out. There is a zoom lock switch to lock the lens at 17mm during storage. The included hood is a nice touch, but feels a bit cheap.

All in all, bravo to Tamron. I don't think this is a perfect lens (hence the 4.5 stars), but it is a very practical lens. For its price and its type, it is very sharp. I can't fault it for the lack of full-time manual focusing, because I knew it lacked that feature when I bought it. This lens is a fantastic and inexpensive alternative is the DSLR "walk-around" zoom class.

Customer Buzz

"expectations?" 2010-01-20
By RGR (USA)
Not a big "reviewer", but I have to comment on this piece of equipment. This was my first non-Canon lens purchase. MAN, did I have my expectations "set too low". This is a very high quality lens, every bit as high quality as any Canon lenses I have shot.

Customer Buzz

"there is a new version of this lens, with VC" 2009-12-16
By J. Wilkinson (Baltimore, MD USA)
FYI, Tamron has released a new version of this lens, with VC (vibration compensation, aka image stabilization)

This has always been an excellent lens, well regarded by most photographers, so it will be interesting to see how the version with VC does.

See it listed here on Amazon as:

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Customer Buzz

"Decent lens but some quirks..." 2009-12-15
By Douglas D. Love (CA USA)
OK, I wanted a 17-55 mm zoom to complement my Sigma 35-300 zoom for my Canon Rebel XSi. After trying both the Sigma 18-55 mm f2.8 and this lens I chose the Tamron. While it is not quite as sharp as I like (Sigma has soft focus issues too) I could not justify the price of a Canon L series lens. This lens has met my expectations. It is reasonably fast. The autofocus is a bit noisy but not overly so and it allows me to have a lens that is an effective 28-88 mm zoom when factoring in the 1.6 crop factor for the APS-C sensor in the Rebel. There seems to be a bit of distortion when shooting at 17 mm at f2.8 but it is not extreme. Is it as fast and as tack sharp as a Canon L? No, but for the price it is a very good lens. The only complaint that I have with it is that it zooms in the opposite direction from Canon and Sigma lenses. For the price, I am happy and now I have a lens that allows me to shoot in low light without a flash in most conditions.

Images Product

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
The AF 75-300 f/4-5.6 extended-range zoom lens offers true telephoto capability ideal for a variety of applications including sports and wildlife shooting. The lens also features the capability to provide beautifully blurred background to high light the main subject in portraiture, or "compression effects" that make the most of the telephoto lens.
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Technical Details

- For Canon EOS SLR cameras
- Offers true telephoto capability
- Ideal for a variety of applications including sports and wildlife shooting
See more technical details
Customer Buzz

"Not bad zoom" 2010-02-08
By Curt Larson
This is a nice zoom lens- Manual focus is smooth. The only drawback is the zoom- at first it was stiff, but seems to have loosened up through use.

Customer Buzz

"Serves the purpose" 2009-09-26
By K. Shah (Mumbai, India)
This lens serves a no nonsense zoom lens for a novice photographer. Although the focusing is slow it takes great outdoor pictures. My purpose is mainly outdoor photography for which this lens is great. The macro mode takes a while getting used to but I'd rather use this as a zoom lens only.

Overall great value and a super buy for a novice photographer on a budget.

Customer Buzz

"Beautiful, Affordable Camera Lens" 2009-09-17
By Lauren Bullers (Pennsylvannia)
Tamron has constructed a wonderful telephoto camera lens for Canon Cameras...! This lens helps in taking beautiful snapshots at a closer proximity than a regular standard zoom lens...! Really a nice zoom lens at an affordable price! Definitely recommend it for those wanting to capture some incredible wildlife photos...

Customer Buzz

"Good len for Canon DSLR" 2009-09-14
By E. Albino
Well designed, works perfectly with my Canon Rebel XS, good range, big range for focussing the target.

the complain maybe that i have is the autofocus is little slow, but for this lens, i better if you use in manually mode to achive the the picture as well you desired.

if you want a lens not spensive like other, this lens is a good choice.

i recomended this item.

Customer Buzz

"A Great Lens, But Will it Last?" 2009-09-13
By Robert
I'm an amateur photographer, when i first got the lens i was very happy with it, i mean it was great, long distance, minimal chromatic abberation, but then a month after purchase, it was in my backpack, i asked my friend to pass the bag to me, and it dropped about half a foot, and now the zooming bearing no longer works

I mean don't get me wrong it's very good, if you beleive that you can take good care of it i would greatly suggest it as an entry level telephoto for the amateur photographer to experiment with.

I'm sure there are better Lenses, but if you're going to pay much more money.

Pros: Cheap, Effective, Very good outdoors, Very Sharp at f/8.0, can't be beat for the price

Cons: Bad indoors, no Image Stabilization so it's not very stable under a shutter speed of 1/30, not very good shock resistant

Ultimately i would suggest this lens. Get it, it's cheap, if you want to spend 500 dollars though, get the 70-300mm Canon IS USM lens, it's better, but 5 times the price.

Images Product

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras From Here Now!
Tamron 28 to 75 millimeter f2.8 XR Di Canon lens.
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Technical Details

- 28-75mm autofocus zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture
- Designed to meet performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras
- Minimum focusing distance of 13 inches; rotation-type zoom
- Smaller and lighter than most fast zoom lenses; weighs 18 ounces
- Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches long; 6-year warranty
See more technical details
Customer Buzz

"I am in love with this lens" 2010-02-12
By Lynn (Washington, D.C.)
This lens is so much more than I ever expected for the price. Very sharp especially at 3.2 and above, the color and saturation is amazing. The focus is a little slow but more important to me it is accurate 99% of the time even at 2.8. It bugs me a bit that the zoom turns the opposite direction of canon but I'll get used to it since this lens has been on my camera since I bought it a week ago. Oh and IS would be great. If you're thinking about it just buy it.

Customer Buzz

"An excellent lens..." 2010-02-11
By Heather (Oregon)
This is an excellent lens. I purchased it for my husband who is learning the art of photography. This lens is very versatile taking great photos from close up to far away. He is really enjoying this lens and is a staple in his bag. I recommend this lens, it's worth the money.

Customer Buzz

"Great IQ for a very good price." 2010-02-01
By Enrique Gonzalez (Cape Coral, Florida)
I've tried this lens for over 2 weeks now, it hasn't left my camera since I got it. The image quality is great with this lens and I've kept it at 2.8 most of the time. It's a great walk-around-lens, it performs well in most situations and takes amazing portrait shots, so far I have been very happy with it, very sharp and excellent color reproduction. I thought the lens not having image stabilizer or as Tamron calls it, vibration compensation, would be a problem but it turns out is not an issue like I thought it would be. You'll enjoy this lens even with it's minor slow focus problem sometimes, I still give it 5 stars because it's not enough to be an issue. As always ordering from Amazon was a great experience with timely shipping and reasonable prices.

Good luck on your decision!

Customer Buzz

"best for the $, and close to the best at any price" 2010-01-28
By johnnyjohnny (wazoo north sahara)
have shot with this for 4 years now, bought at $395 and am happy to see amazon offering a great price after 3 years of inflation, one year of stagnancy.

it's really the one lens (aside from the canon 2.8 17-55mm image stab, which is twice+ much as this, but complements it) that i can say will bring no regrets. spelled n-o-n-e.

have 3 shots that show a range of work in the image section (clickable at top of page), no.s 139, 140, 141. my pro use is 141, for headshots with fill flash and some perfecting oriented raw/psd file photoshop...tho that shot did not need much, just perfecting for the client. no. 139 has some tonal photoshop and other basic work in raw/psd, but casual, about 30mins worth, and is a casual very low light indoor shot of kitty sitting by a very bright window...really shows this camera taking on paradoxical conditions. did need a little photoshop to really balance the tones/light out, but it delivers such good material to work with in extreme light conditions. 140 has only some photoshop to bring out colors in sky/sea, some sharpening, but shows this lens in another situation, a scenic ocean pic.

point is, across the board the lens can hang well. love the 2.8 across the range. only thing i might say is that the sharpness needs a little photoshop pump uP...if you look at most of the added images in the gallery, they seem to have a touch of, if not softness, then a slight lack of punched right on sharpness. but it's a nice quality, and likely 90% as good as you'll get with a zoom...and also easily fixed in photoshop or other simple pic adjusting software, and one will always be sharpening a bit anyway, so not at all a negative.

no reason not to get this lens. all, or virtually all, reviews on this lens had it beating the canon 'L' version of it for mucho mucho more $...the only drawback being this has a plastic barrel. i say, just don't play handball with it. probably the best lens out there in this zoom range, and a no-brainer price.

Customer Buzz

"Great fast portrait lens on a budget" 2010-01-26
By Amazonian (Midwest USA)
So you know where this review is comong from, I am an amateur. I have a Canon XSi/450D, and about 1.5 years of DSLR experience.

I thought that the new kit I got was so difficult to learn, but it turns out that my kit lens was just not so good.

The fact that a petal hood is included makes a nice plus, and the lens cap is the type you squeeze together from the front, so it's easy to get on/off with the hood in place. I leave it on 99% of the time. Good protection.

This Tamron was a great choice for an all-around lens.

Usually wide enough, and can zoom in for nice bokeh in the background of portraits.

The sharpness(especially on a crop sensor) is outstanding from f/4 on up. At f2.8, it's a touch soft for me, but still very usable up to 8X10" prints. Much sharper wide open than the "venerated" Canon 50mm 1.8 II, even at f/2.8. I sold my "nifty fifty" after getting this lens, becasue it is more flexible, and I never liked the shots I got between 1.8 and 2.8 anyway. Too soft.

In professional reviews, this lens is sharper than the Canon 24-70 f2.8 L! I have confirmed that in a store on my body. I compared their L to the Tamron with a magazine full of text. The text (especially away from center) was MUCH sharper with the Tamron than the Canon L! Much.

So, 1/3 the cost, and half the weight. The canon lens is weather sealed, and moslty a metal chassis. If those two items are important to you, then get the Canon. Otherwise, the Tamron is the way to go.

I also considered the Sigma 24-70 f2.8, but the weight, filter size and flare resistance were all better with the Tamron.

This lens works great. My only caveat is that the zoom movement is opposite to the canon lenses, which is a little disconcerting when you switch, but not a big deal.

Images Product

Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Review Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Buy Cheap Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras From Here Now!
With the advent of the latest 15X zoom lens from Tamron, the pioneer of high power zoom lenses, the high power zoom lens has steadily evolved from a 7.1X to a 10.7X to a 13.9X and now to the worlds largest zoom ratio of 15X by combining advanced high power zoom design technologies accumulated by Tamron since 1992. The lens covers an angle of view equivalent to that of a 28mm wideangle to a 419mm ultra telephoto with just one lens, letting the user capture once-in-the-lifetime images of panoramic landscape images or close-up pictures of children smiling, without having to get too close to the subject and without having to change lenses.
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Technical Details

- AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Tamron zoom lens
- Built-in vibration compensation for blur-free photos
- Low-dispersion glass and hybrid aspherical glass elements for superior image quality
- optical zoom ratio: 15X (approximately)
- Minimum focus distance: 19.3"
See more technical details
Customer Buzz

"WOW" 2010-02-13
By David (Mountain Home ID.)
Got the lens and could not wait to use it. The zoom ring rotates oposite what I was use to. Somewhat heavy but the pictures were great. At full zoom the focus was a little slow but I can live with it. Great lens.

Customer Buzz

"Tamron 18-270 Lens - Very Good But Not Great" 2010-02-12
By P. Olivier (Tampa Bay, FL USA)
The many reviews I read about the new Tamron 18-270mm Lens were mostly very good so I took a chance on it, sight unseen. The reviews said it beats its competition in most every way. after using it for a while, it is a very good all around, consumer lens for amateur photographers that allowed me to take several lenses out of my camera bag due to it's wide range of focal lengths. I take landscape and close up nature photos and this lens serves me about 75 percent of the time. It focuses surprisingly close at all lengths. For macro photography I use a Canon 500D close focus filter and an extension tube. Photos are very sharp and are true macros, however, the lens is a bit slow with the extension tube attached. I always use a tripod and set ISO 800. I did my own test of lens sharpness by photographing a newpaper page taped to my garage door. I later examined the RAW files in Adobe Camera Raw at 200 percent magnification. At the very wide and very long settings I found the lens very sharp using aperture settings of f8 to f16. I did have one bad experience that I have yet to explain. I pointed the camera and lens at the sky and zoomed out from 18mm to 270mm. As I looked through the viewfinder I noticed what appears to be serious vignetteing at settings from about 180mm to 270mm. However, I took several photos of the blue sky at a series of different lens settings and did not find any vignetting in the photos.

I have only one complaint about this lens and its a big one: if you point the lens up or down there is serious lens creep in the zoom mechanism. There is no provision for adjusting the tension on the zoom control. So, if you point the lens up or down you need to hold it in place while you compose and take you photos. This becomes a really big issue for achieving maximum sharpness and when you are taking timed exposures. Since I do not regularly point the lens up or down at rather sharp angles this is not a major issue, but I expect better from Tamron quality.

Customer Buzz

"NewToDigital" 2010-02-08
By NewToDigital
Although I am new to digital photograph, I have been involved as an amature to semipro in film photography for more than 40 years. My camera platform of choice is Nikon. I pruchased the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for use on my Nikon D5000 body. I love the D5000's articulating LCD display.

My kids are competitive swimmers and divers so I shoot mostly indoors, at a pool, fast action, hand held, in low light. I shot about 1000 action shots with this lens; then it started to stick when pointed down and zooming from 270 mm back toward 18 mm. However, eventhough I was shooting in low light, at ISO 3200, shutter speed 125th of a second, with the lens wide open. Through the entire zoom range, the lens was great until it started sticking during zoom. Pictures were amazingly sharp for the slow shutter speed and high ISO.

But alas, a sticky zoom was unacceptable, so I exchanged the Tamron for a Nikon 18-200 VRII zoom and I am happy, accept I miss the extra 70mm of zoom. Picture clarity seems about the same, but I think the VC (vibration compensation) feature on the Tamron stabilizes the lens slightly better than the Nikon's VRII stabilization does. I could tell the difference in the viewfinder on action photos. How, by observing the camera shake reduction of the subject. I would guess the Tamron subtracted an extra F stop over the Nikon 18-200. This, to me, seemed significant at maximum zoom when filming 10 meter tower diving. I need all of the stability I can get.

I wish the Tamron's zoom feature didn't start sticking, I liked this lens, a lot, and, it was nearly $300 less expensive than the Nikon glass. By the way, auto focus seemed about as fast as the Nikon, at least when filming swimming and diving.

I would recommend this product with some reservation.

Customer Buzz

"I'm torn about this lens" 2010-01-25
By Jennifer Highfield (KC, MO)
I bought and use this lens for my Canon 40d DSLR. I've had the lens for about 6 months and its my walk around lens and rarely leaves my camera. I'm not an expert, but I do shoot about every day. With that said, I'll tell you my opinion.

At first the reverse zoom took a bit of time to get used to but with muscle memory, I got that down. Whenever I use the camera inside and need to use the flash on the camera, I get a half moon shadow on the bottom of the picture. At first I didn't know what was causing this but after looking at the size of the lens when in zoom I figured out that the light from the flash is hitting the top of the lens and throwing the shadow. If I install my external flash in the hot shoe (which sits higher than the pop up) I don't get this problem, but I don't always have time for that when I'm just trying to grab a quick shot of my son.

We just got back from a vacation where I used the camera/lens quite a bit and I noticed another tick with it. Sometimes when I press the shutter button halfway down to get the focus ready, I notice that the front lens will seem to slip or drift down. Almost like its about to break completely. It doesn't happen all the time, maybe one out of 50, and so far it is seeming to hold together. Maybe its nothing but its making me nervous and I'm already starting to research another walk around lens.

Would I recommend this to a friend? No. The picture quality is great and if I would have reviewed it right after I bought it I would have gave it 5 stars. But it just doesn't seem to be holding up.

Customer Buzz

"Decent photos but not great build quality" 2010-01-25
By J. Chatterjee (Columbus, USA)
I am using the lens for about 3 months now. I like the excellent zoom range it offers. It takes decently sharp photo. Image stabilization is OKish, not great though (compared to Sigma and Canon EF lens). The main problems I have with the lens are:

1. Zooming is not smooth. Till about 100mm its OK, but then it takes good jerk/strength to go further.

2. Lens hood is very cheap and "plastic" build and is not smooth to attach and detach.

3. The switch to lock lens creeping is not smooth either.

4. It does not come with a lens pouch or storage box. This is a bit problematic to store the lens when not in use.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tamron SP AF 1.4x Pro Teleconverter for Canon Mount Lenses

Technical Details

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC (Vibration Compensation) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Friday, February 26, 2010

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD VC (Vibration Compensation) Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Technical Details

Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Technical Details

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