Thoughts on Tamron 18-400?

[jpross123]

Hello all, I just saw that Tamron just announced a 18-400mm f3.5-6.3 lens. From my experience, the long variable aperture zoom lenses start to loose the sharpness when zoomed all the way out to the max, but in the photos that PetaPixel posted, the images look very good for such a lens! Especially with the $649 price tag.

What are your thoughts on this lens? Maybe this could be the new all in one lens that hobbyist have been asking for!

https://petapixel.com/2017/06/23/tamron-unveils-worlds-first-18-400mm-lens/

 

[goodguy]

This is a travel lens, all in one, it will probably produce soft images, ok but nothing to get excited about if you care about sharp images

 

[SCraig]

You'll likely not find anything good said about a superzoom on this forum. There are many members who are great about expressing views based on zero personal experience. No offense meant to Goodguy since he really is one of the good guys.

Goodguy is right, it is a travel lens or an all-in-one or whatever you prefer to call it. It goes from wide to tele in one lens so that one doesn't have to carry three lenses around to meet the same focal length range. It wasn't intended to replace shorter-range zooms for most situations, but when you are in a position that will require a lot of flexibility in focal length they can be an excellent compromise.

Everything about photography is a compromise. We frequently compromise aperture for shutter speed or ISO for depth of field. This type of lens can, and sometimes will, compromise image quality for the sake of convenience. Each of us has to determine whether the compromise is worthwhile. For me it frequently is.

While I have zero personal experience with this particular lens I do have a Sigma 18-300 that I use extensively. I spend a lot of time at race tracks and having that flexibility sure beats the hell out of carrying two bodies and lenses around like I used to do. I, for one, would never go back to that again and, in my personal opinion, if you need the flexibility a super zoom provides then this would would certainly be worth taking a look at. If you don't need that flexibility then you will likely get sharper images from something with a more mild focal length range. I can't say for certain having never used that particular lens.

 

[nerwin]

I'm sure it will be a fine travel lens. f/6.3 at 400mm isn't half bad. Heck on Nikon bodies, its equivalent of 600mm! Its insane. But will be good as Nikon's $10K 600 f/4 VR? I have my doubts.

The sample pictures they showed are from good photographers so people who buy that lens and expect they'll get images like that and when then they don't, they'll be disappointed.

As much as I don't care for Jared Polin, he recently talked about this lens and when he gets one in for a review, he will do a photo challenge and shoot a variety of subjects with that lens only for a period of time. So that might be interesting to watch and to hear his remarks.

But I thought the DSLR was dying? Why is Tamron make another lens for a dying system? At least that's what I've heard. I don't know how many comments I've read "Tamron is dumb, why aren't they making lenses for mirrorless cameras? The DSLR is old" Blah blah blah. I'm sick of the crap /rant.

 

[Derrel]

Photo content is more important than line pairs per millimeter, so the lens will likely be adequate for a lot of people and a lot of situations. I had their 28-270mm lens...not "great" by any stretch of the imagination. Tamron invented the triple-extension barrel design back in the 1990's on the original superzoom, that company's 28-200mm lens, which is the lens that started this new trend. Tamron refined the 28-200mm five times; Herbert Keppler did a whole article in Modern Photography magazine, detailing Tamron's development process and the iterations of the lens.

It **is** possible to make a good superzoom, and the price of this one is an MSRP of $649, so this is not a low,low-priced lens model. Nikon has a couple models of higher-end superzooms that do pretty good work on full-frame cameras.

There are a lot of people who want the right framing on their shots, and this type of lens is for them. It's for convenience, and that all-in-one lens idea that many buyers will go for.

 

[jaomul]

I'd like one of these. I could see myself getting more photographs if I had an all in one for the times I wanted things simpler than carrying and changing lenses, such as days I am heading out but have the kids etc.

Sigma do/did a superzoom some time back (not sure 18-200 or maybe 18-250mm). A friend of mine bought one and within reasonable expectations it is a good imager

 

[Derrel]

The range of 18-400mm will be a pretty easy sale for any halfway competent sales associate when he or she is faced with a customer who desires an all-in-one lens with a decent wide-angle end AND a very powerful maximum telephoto factor. The zoom ratio of 22.2x will speak loudly to customers who see smaller 3x or 4x or 6x or even 10x or 15x zoom lenses as lacking range.

I dunno...I honestly expect that this lens will be perfectly adequately at f/7.1 or f/8 in good light, for many people. I expect that the lens will out-perform many photographers' ability, especially among the subset of buyers who elect to go for this 18mm to 400mm zoom. Again-picture content trumps line pairs resolved per millimeter, in almost every real, everyday picture-taking situation. The company's own sample photos show how important picture content and framing can be: what a lot of casual photographers lack is maximum telephoto, and 400mm on APS-C is going to allow a LOT of more-distanct subjects to be brought closer, and framed up more tightly, and with a narrower and more-selective angle of view. Better at the beach, better at the zoo, better at the soccer match, better at those ancient ruins, where DETAIL shots, close-in images, are what many people really want to come back with. PLUS--the same wide-angle 18mm end as a tin y $99 kit lens.

This lens is also designed to garner SALES!!! Sales of lenses for Tamron of course, and also sales of camera outfits for photo stores that can pair this long-ranging 22.2x zoom with lower-cost APS-C bodies to make attractive packages for customers who are looing for that one-lens solution.

 

[jpross123]

Everything about photography is a compromise. We frequently compromise aperture for shutter speed or ISO for depth of field. This type of lens can, and sometimes will, compromise image quality for the sake of convenience. Each of us has to determine whether the compromise is worthwhile.

Very well said!

As much as I don't care for Jared Polin, he recently talked about this lens and when he gets one in for a review, he will do a photo challenge and shoot a variety of subjects with that lens only for a period of time. So that might be interesting to watch and to hear his remarks.

Ahh, yes, Jared Polin. I watch him on youtube every once in awhile, I do like some of his content. But we could have another topic on him more than likely.
I am also looking forward to him doing a review on this lens. I am curious to see how it compares to the Hebrew trinity as he calls it. It obviously wont do as well in low light, given the high variable aperture.

 

[jaomul]

There is also the little thing if dust and moisture sealing which adds to the appeal

 

[table1349]

The only way to tell is to get your hands on one, give it a try and see if YOU are satisfied with the quality of the photos you can produce with the lens.

 

[Derrel]

SNIP>>>>>I am curious to see how it compares to the Hebrew trinity as he calls it.

And what three lenses,pray tell, comprise this so-called trinity? I have not been following his site for a couple of years at least. Jared is the "Fro Knows Pho-to!" fellow, for those that are not familiar with his YouTube site.

 

[nerwin]

SNIP>>>>>I am curious to see how it compares to the Hebrew trinity as he calls it.

And what three lenses,pray tell, comprise this so-called trinity? I have not been following his site for a couple of years at least. Jared is the "Fro Knows Pho-to!" fellow, for those that are not familiar with his YouTube site.

I have three lenses, can't those be MY trinity lenses? hehe.

 

[jpross123]

SNIP>>>>>I am curious to see how it compares to the Hebrew trinity as he calls it.

And what three lenses,pray tell, comprise this so-called trinity? I have not been following his site for a couple of years at least. Jared is the "Fro Knows Pho-to!" fellow, for those that are not familiar with his YouTube site.

He calls the Hebrew Trinity the 14-24 2.8, 24-70 2.8, and 70-200 2.8

SNIP>>>>>I am curious to see how it compares to the Hebrew trinity as he calls it.

And what three lenses,pray tell, comprise this so-called trinity? I have not been following his site for a couple of years at least. Jared is the "Fro Knows Pho-to!" fellow, for those that are not familiar with his YouTube site.

I have three lenses, can't those be MY trinity lenses? hehe.

Of course they can!

 

[benhasajeep]

The one thing with the Tamron, and lenses like it, is convenience. Will it be the best lens ever? NO. Does it provide a wide range of focal lengths? YES. Will it be a lot lighter than carrying a bag full of other lenses? YES. Will it provide very good pictures with proper handling and post processing? YES.

I really do have 6 camera bags. I can carry 2 at a time for short distances. But the 4 large bags are crazy heavy. I have big lenses like 300mm f/2.8, and fast primes. But I also have a big zoom Sigma just for the convenience factor in just being able to grab a single lens and go. They have their uses. Would I have one for my only lens? NO. It's a nice to have lens when your out and have no idea what you might see / take a picture of. Some bird up in that tree, zoom out you have it. Some lizard on the limb next to you, zoom in you have it. That quick, no need going through your bag trying to find the one lens your looking for. And the time to change them. I almost bought the Tamron when they came out with the 18-270. Actually drove to the local camera store to buy it. But they had sold it, before I went back.