Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Lens for Canon EF

The Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is a perfectly competent superzoom that squeezes a huge focal length range into a compact package. Autofocus is slower than its competitors, however, and image quality is weak at the telephoto end.

• +

  Very useful 15x zoom range, Good image quality at wideangle, Quiet autofocus, Reasonably effective image stabilization, Compact and lightweight, Anyone looking for a compact, lightweight, all-in-one general purpose and travel lens.

• -

  Rather soft at telephoto, especially wide open, Strong distortion across most of the range, Chromatic aberration at each end of the zoom (most pronounced at telephoto), Slower autofocus than its peers, Sports or action work that requires fast autofocus.

The new PZD lens corrects another "issue" of the 18-270 VC: in the past, Tamron super-zooms have usually combined a very large zoom range with a very compact design. The 18-270 VC did not quite fit here, being surprisingly large for a Tamron zoom lens.

Tamron Di-II lenses are engineered expressly for digital SLR cameras with image sensors commonly referred to as APS-C, measuring approximately 24mm x 16mm. Rendering an ideal image circle for APS-C sensors, Di-II lenses also include properties to optimize digital imaging performance.

The Tamron 18-270mm is an excellent all-round lens, capable of being used for landscape, wildlife, portraits and even close-up shots. It's a great lens for the enthusiast photographer and boasts a full set of features including stabiliser, ultrasonic focus and good quality optics.

ePHOTOzine lens expert, Gary Wolstenholme casts his keen eye over the 15x Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC LD Aspherical (IF).

• +

  Zoom range, Price, Vibration Compensation feature, Light weight

• -

  Slow maximum aperture, Needs to be used at mid-apertures for best quality

I would like to complete a full Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Lens review in the future, but for now, please use the standardized test results currently available.

Gary Wolstenholme takes a close look at Tamron's latest super-zoom which sports a silent piezo ultrasonic focusing motor and an improved Vibration Compensation system.

• +

  Respectable optical performance, Compact, Lightweight, Vibration Compensation, Quick, silent focusing

• -

  CA levels a little high when stopped down below f/16, Higher price than much of the competition at the moment

The Tamron 18–270 Di II lens is a good lens for travellers who don’t want to have to carry around multiple lenses, or for photographers who have upgraded to a DSLR system and miss the range of their point-and-shoot

• +

  Impressive image quality (normal to short telephoto), Excellent resistance to flare, Effective vibration correction system

• -

  Slow, occasionally indecisive autofocus, Geometric distortion across much of the zoom range, Chromatic aberration at wide and telephoto

Overall it seems that Tamron has been just a bit too ambitious in this lens. This is unfortunate given that its 270mm setting is a key selling point but there will doubtless be times when owners will be grateful for the extended zoom range that, to some extent, does trump other more modest zooms.

The type of user that the Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is aimed at will be perfectly happy with the performance of it. Picture quality is overall very good and we got some lovely sharp results from it.

Nice all around lens, little disappointed in the picture quality

So tight when you turn the lens and take note when you take a picture with your (ID) identification card even you set the camera to auto settings you cannot get a good picture so blurry.

I took this lens on my trip to Alaska and i was very happy with it! Remember to order the lens with the correct mount, I ordered a Nikon mount by mistake and then had to reorder a Canon. I have to say that the return and reorder process was very professional and easy.

I purchased the original model of this lens several years back to go with the then new Rebel EOS Camera as a gift for my sister. The combination was stunningly sharp and was a match well made.