Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC – Our verdict
Tamron has a long record of making superzoom lenses for DSLRs, and this latest 18-200mm behaves very much as we’d expect. The 10x zoom means it’s optically flawed compared with shorter-range options, but a single lens that covers so many photographic opportunities is undeniably useful. Despite its bargain price, it doesn’t make too many concessions compared with its more expensive peers.
Here the lens has done a good job shooting into the light, showing little in the way of flare
This lens might appear to be aimed at casual photographers, but in reality you’ll get the most out of it if you’re prepared to shoot in raw and post-process away evident flaws. The images will look just fine, unless you like to print large or scrutinise them for pixel-level detail. You’d no doubt get technically better files by using two shorter-range zooms, but if, in practice, you don’t have the inclination to change lenses between shots, the point is moot: getting a shot that’s not especially sharp at 200mm definitely beats not getting one at all.
