There is one thing that the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD does better than any other lens on the market, and that is offer a seriously impressive zoom range in a relatively compact form factor. I found it hard not to love and respect the lens for this feature alone because, for many shooters who have been craving some extra zoom from their one-lens kit, this is the only option available. Tamron has managed to bring the lens’s design into the modern day with some useful specs and functions that will make taking pictures easier and more enjoyable.
Designed for APS-C format Canon and Nikon DSLRs, this lens offers an incredible 28.8-640mm or 27-600mm equivalent focal length, respectively. Now, I must admit that even though I love my primes, it’s hard not to enjoy going so quickly from wide-angle to super-telephoto perspectives with the twist of a wrist. I do have to go into detail about the optics, however, as while it did impress me with the range, there were obviously some tradeoffs made when it came to making it work in such a small design. I noticed it was a bit soft wide open and being so dark makes it difficult to stop down unless it’s a bright day. This lens will be great for travelers, though, who will take their cameras out for a stroll on a nice day and want to make sure they can capture those scenic landscapes and faraway details without stuffing their day pack full of glass.
One thing to look out for during shooting is distortion, because the lens tends to display noticeable pincushion effect, even at the more "normal" focal lengths. Also, something I noticed was that the lens tends to have dull or under-saturated colors, but this is not a huge issue since most editing programs can fix this quickly with the use of a single slider. I found it is well designed to be slung over a shoulder, and I experienced very little zoom creep as I walked around New York City with the lens on my camera. Also, a zoom lock switch is available for moments when you aren’t using the lens and want to make sure it doesn’t accidentally get bumped out of place. It is made of a durable plastic that kept the overall weight down, something appreciated for a zoom like this, and the rubberized zoom ring is large and easy to grip.
One thing that surprised me was that the focusing ring had hard stops, something increasingly difficult to come by these days, but it did have an incredibly short throw, not exactly ideal for precision at longer focal lengths. One very thoughtful feature is the close minimum focus distance of 17.7", resulting in a magnification ratio of 1:2.9, meaning that unless you do macro all the time, this lens may satisfy close-up photography needs, as well. Autofocus was generally reliable and I was satisfied in its ability to lock accurately onto the subject. At longer focal lengths, it started to slow down a bit, but that I would mostly attribute to the dimmer aperture the camera must work with than a fault with the AF system. The vibration compensation was greatly appreciated at longer focal lengths because it stabilized the image noticeably. It is almost mandatory once you reach the super telephoto focal lengths.
All-in-ones are generally designed with one main goal in mind: have the widest-ranging zoom range possible. The Tamron 18-400mm certainly excels here, boasting a focal-length range unmatched by any other optic. There were some compromises made to reach this goal, which can show through in some images, but that isn't really the point of a lens like this—and modern lens design makes this an improvement over the kit lenses of just a decade ago. I will say it is perfect for travelers, families, and even social media aficionados who will take the images from their camera and quickly throw them up on Instagram or Facebook to share with their friends. In these cases, the purpose of the camera isn't to generate the sharpest, most colorful, or technically perfect imagery, the aim is to capture the moment for later, and having this zoom range ensures that you will always have the tools to make the shot. You really can't beat the Tamron when it comes to convenience and compactness for the almost absurd focal lengths it offers.
Could you make great use of a lens like this one? Let us know your opinions in the Comments section, below.
