Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC Aspherical

Review of the first 15x superzoom lens for APS-C format DSLRs, and it includes Vibration Compensation for sharp-shooting even at slow shutter speeds.

Zoom range; Price; Vibration Compensation feature; Light weight

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

Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC Lens

in all camera mounts it supports including Canon's APS-C mount. The 15x focal length range is, without a doubt,

Lens Test: Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC AF

With the broadest zoom range (15X) of any interchangeable lens for DSLRs, this 28-419mm equivalent superzoom ($600, street) also packs a Vibration Compensation system for sharp handheld shooting at long focal lengths or slow shutter speeds.

[REVIEW-TAMRON AF 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 Macro zoom lens]

This is an 18-270mm zoom lens that is image stabilised. Tamron calls it "The Ultimate All-In-One Zoom: Longest, Steadiest Lens On Earth", which is one of those records made to be broken. It is available in Nikon and Canon mounts.

The sheer versatility of this lens makes you overlook its weaknesses; It is a pleasure to be able to walk around with a lens that replaces a bag full of lesser range zooms and primes.

Auto focus is slow, particularly at the long end of the range; It is not suitable for fast moving subjects; There is noticeable distortion which is just acceptable at wide angle, but the pincushion effect at the long end is so bad that it demands correction in software; Zoom creep is irritating