| Author: | | Inactive Account Registered: June, 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 4 | | Review Date: July 17, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $130.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | wide zoom range | | Cons: | IQ doesn't meet expectation | |
This lens turned out to be a disappointment.
It seems to be well built and it handles really well.
But in terms of IQ, it doesn't come close to my Sigma 28-105.
| | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: Oxford Posts: 28
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 24, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $73.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Focusing speed, build quality | | Cons: | Focusing speed, internal focusing causes changes in focal length | |
Before I start, I have to qualify my review by saying that this is only after a very short time playing with the lens, and is only on handling and mechanics, rather than actual picture-taking ability.
Firstly, focusing ability. This lens has a very short focus throw (something like 45 degrees from lock to lock), which has a couple of effects. Firstly, focus is extremely fast. On an MZ-5N, this translates to quick and accurate focusing. On my GX20, however, I ran into a problem - it seems to be TOO fast for the camera to be able to cope with. What I mean is, if focusing conditions are not optimal and if the subject is a long way out of focus to start with, the lens will overshoot, go all the way to the other extreme, come back, overshoot and so on ad infinitum. If the subject is nearly in focus, however, it seems to be able to cope pretty well. There is also the expected difficulty when focusing manually with such a short throw to play with.
Secondly, this is an internal focusing lens. This means that the focal length marked on the scale is only reached when focusing at infinity - focusing any closer reduces the effective focal length quite considerably.
Having said all that, I still find this lens quite amazing. It's very compact for such a huge range, and in good lighting, the focusing speed is blazingly fast. Also, the lens feels extremely well built. The end element does not wobble at all, even at maximum extension - I can't say the same thing about my Pentax/Samsung lens!
A word on the pricing. I was lucky enough to snag this as part of a bundle with an MZ-5N (with wonky flash), associated battery pack and a fairly nice bag, so depending on your priorities, I got something for nothing.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: Vancouver Posts: 87
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 15, 2008 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Great value, light weight, sharp enough to bring on vacation | | Cons: | CA, zoom ring a little tight | |
This is a great little vacation zoom from Tamron. It has a good 28-200mm range, it is decent optically, and most important of all, it is lightweight.
I bought this lens as a general purpose "vacation" zoom for me to bring on trips and outings that would be inconvenient to use primes or bring a bag of lenses. So portability and range was important and it lives up to the requirment quite well.
I didn't expect the optical quality to be as good as it is, in fact I was a little surprised. Even at 200mm, the images are quite sharp stopped down to f/8. There is, however, some purple fringing issues with this lens under some bright sunny conditions, but it is a compromise I can live with.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 96
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 4, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | good range, acceptable quality, good build quality | | Cons: | a bit soft, some barrel distortion | |
This one serves as my travel lens, and for that purpose, it does excellent.
Of course it's a superzoom, so there are bound to be compromises, such as some slight softness and a decent amount of barrel distortion.
I don't really mind these compromises though, because 90% of the time you don't notice them.
And in return you get a great range, in a compact and yet sturdy package.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2007 Location: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Posts: 7,183
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 4, 2008 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Size, focal range, sharpness, versatiliy | | Cons: | slow, reflections | |
this lens haven't seen much use until recently. Since I bought Sigma 10-20, this Tamron is my main outdoor walkaround lens. It's a great walkaround lens, with good IQ, though bit soft at long end, but sharpens up nicely when stopped to f5.6 on wide end, and f8 on long end. For indoors it's too slow, but in good light it's very decent and very usable lens, only really bad thing is that it's prone to reflections, so don't point it to sun. AF with K100D is accurate and fast. If you don't have budget for 18-200 or 18-250, and have available 10-20 or 12-24, get this one. For the money you won't be disapointed.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 30
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 17, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | good contrast, colour rendition, small size, quick AF | | Cons: | soft at long end | |
Excellent lens for the price. I bought this as my all around travel lens. It's extremely compact and lightweight for it's range. The zoom ring is smooth and well dampened. It also features a Zoom lock button. However, it doesn't suffer from zoom creep at all. The lens provides excellent contrast and colour rendition, almost at par with most Pentax lenses. The AF is quick and is very quiet compared to the Pentax lenses. My only gripe is that it is a bit soft at the long end until you stop down to f8 and then it's sharp.
highly recommend this lens but as the new 18-250 has been released that might be the better choice. However if you don't need the extra length and width you might be able to find the 28-200 for a very good price.
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