http://www.digitalcameraworld.com JUNE 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^123
f you’re going to get a
‘holiday lens’, it makes
sense to keep the price
down and buy something
you’re not going to be too precious
about. The Tamron 18-200mm is
relatively cheap to buy and,
at 400g, it’s also very light.
As the second edition of Tamron’s
18-200mm lens, it adds Vibration
Compensation and boasts an
upgraded, quieter autofocus
system. The focus ring rotates
during autofocus and doesn’t
enable full-time manual override.
The lens is 30g lighter than its
predecessor, due to the fitment of a
plastic rather than metal mounting
plate, but includes a weather-seal ring.
Performance
Autofocus speed is pedestrian,
but the stabiliser offers four-stop
effectiveness. Image quality
is respectable in all areas.
ollowing on from the
Tamron 16-300mm lens,
which offered an extra-wide
viewing angle, Tamron’s
latest superzoom goes extra-long
instead. Stretching to 400mm, it beats
every other APS-C format superzoom
on the market for telephoto reach.
Autofocus is driven by an HLD
(High/Low torque-modulated Drive)
motor, which is quick and quiet. The
focus ring rotates during autofocus
and there’s no full-time manual
override. Build quality is good
overall, and the construction
features weather seals, including
one on the metal mounting plate.Performance
It’s a big ask to deliver good sharpness
at 400mm from such a relatively
compact lens, but the Tamron does
pretty well. Centre sharpness is good
at the shortest setting, although it’s
mediocre in the central zoom range.IF
Tamron
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!àXXǣ(ژבِהٮדِבǔٖ
£199/$199
A smart buy as a holiday lens
Lens mounts Canon EF-S,
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Tamron
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6.3 Di II VC HLD
£649/$649
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Lens mounts Canon EF-S,
zǣǸȒȇژ(æً³ژȒȇɵSharpness
As with the competing Sigma
18-200mm lens, sharpness
is good rather than great.Sharpness
Centre sharpness is worse
than average in the mid sector
of the zoom range.Fringing
Short 2.22 Long 2.19
Amounts of colour fringing
are average for a superzoom.Fringing
Short 2.14 Long 5.15
It’s very noticeable at the
long end of the zoom range.Distortion
Short -3.57 Long 1.32
Barrel distortion is worse
than average at the short end.Distortion
Short -2.91 Long 1.15
Distortions are impressively
low, considering the range.Digital Camera verdict Digital Camera verdict
4.0 Excellent 4.0 Excellent
4.0 4.0Features Features4.0 3.5Performance Performance5.0 4.0Value Value3.5 4.0Build &
handlingBuild &
handlingThe second edition of
Tamron’s 18-200mm
lens delivers good
performance at a
rock-bottom price.
It’s a particularly
good budget choice for
Sony A-mount bodies.
If you feel that extra-
long telephoto reach is
worth a sacrifice in
image quality, this is
a tempting superzoom
lens for use with Canon
and Nikon APS-C
format cameras.05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,000f/3.5 f/6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22
18mm 70mm
135mm 200mm05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,000f/3.5 f/6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22
18mm 100mm
200mm 400mmTravel superzooms Group Test