Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Imagine never having to switch lenses - I did! My dreams (mostly) came true with the Tamron 18-270 Di II. The lens itself is nice and compact and provides good response in auto focus (with my Sony SLT-A65). It allows for great portraits and good (medium to long distance) sport photography.
One of the things I like is the quiet PZD drive which makes the HD movie mode on my Sony SLT much more acceptable (no post audio editing).
The one complaint (which I knew and accepted before I bought the lens) was the locking of the lens extension. You see with such a small body and long zoom in one package, the lens extension makes for a long barrel (which is fine) - it's just if you forget to click the lock lever, the lens will extend itself to full length quietly and simply. It really is a petty complaint - but I wanted to give you full disclosure of the one (understandable) negative

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Tamron has been a lens innovator for some time and this particular lens has great range and performance! It's super quiet which is important since I coupled it with my Sony A77 and anticipate taking video on occasion.

This is a great lens to have particularly to travel lightly.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

the pictures are great. However the zoom lens had lens creep. In a vertical position the lens zooms out to maximum. I never had this before.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

This camera was bought for an all-purpose lens for my wife to use since she doesn't like messing with primes or even multiple zooms of different focal lengths. I had previously had the Canon 18-200 when I shot the 60D and that lens was a very capable jack-of-all-trades.Since moving to Sony, I figured another superzoom would be in order for my wife to use. The Tamron is f/6.3 at 270 (compared to 5.6 at 200 for the Canon). But, I don't think that little bit of light loss could account for the results I am getting.When used in good lighting outdoors, the images are OK. Only OK, but usable. Nothing is usable indoors. Even with multiple powerful flash units, it is a lot of work to get a good exposure...work that my wife (who the lens if for) would never attempt. This is an all-in-one and is designed to simplify DSLR use for those who want it simple.Another thng is the autofocus sound: One of the major reasons we bought this was the reported silent AF during video using the SLTs. I was prepared for the clicking sound that I had heard on Youtube reviews. What I wasn't prepared for was a high-pitched friction-type sound as the focal length changes.Maybe this is just my copy and is a harbinger of a future breakdown, but I have to question quality control.The AF does work fairly well ecept in low light and the overall sound from the lens is less than for a typical screwdrive. However, if I had it to do over again, I would have either bought the Sony screwdrive version or the Sigma (even though heavier).In general, you sacrifice image quality and speed for these types of superzooms. But, for the price ([$]), I expected better AF and better performance in a well-lit indoor environement. I suspect that even though the aperture is similar to the canon (5.6 vs 6.3), the T-stop (actual light loss due to internal reflections) is MUCH greater.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I have had this product for about 3 weeks and I like it a lot. It is an great upgrade from the kit lens that came with my Sony SLT A33. I Strongly recommend it.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I didn't expect this lens to be tack sharp but the 18-200 I have for my NEX3 was so much sharper in tests at identical focal lengths and f-stops that I thought the lens was defective. I had B&H send me a second copy but it wasn't any better. I don't know if I was unlucky and got two poor copies or I just expected too much from this lens but I returned both copies. The same camera body (A65) produces sharp images with the 50mm-f1.8.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

A previous reviewer said that this Tamron 18-270mm lens is inferior to the less expensive Sony 18-250mm lens. I agree and would add that the Sony lens itself is inferior to the still less expensive Tamron 18-250mm lens. Newer is not always better. Cheaper sometimes is.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I was disappointed in this lens being pretty impressive in specs and with a relatively high price. The Piazo auto focus was alluring as was the 270mm range. That said, in a side by side comparison to the Sony 18-250 it was NO CONTEST! The Sony was MUCH sharper in image clarity and that for me was the deciding factor. The difference in reach between the Tamron at 270mm vs. the Sony at 250mm was negligible. As a plus,the Sony was even less expensive!

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I am an advanced amateur and wanted a single lens for both reasonable wide as well as medium to longish telephoto. This lens fits the bill nicely. I have not found the lens lock necessary, the lens when held "down" does not extend but I suspect as it gets more use I will need the lock. I am more than satisfied with this lens.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Just be aware, that the Tamron lense made for Sony does not have the Vibration Compensation (VC), as States in the descreption. Those are only made for Nikon and Canon.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Ok, I don't have anything THAT important to say (unlike my subject line suggests), but I would like to say I am enjoying my new lens and it has lived up to my expectations. I read lots of reviews and did some research before buying, and I'd say a majority of the reviews are correct. The Lens is perfect for a wide range of shooting due to the focal length, has a VERY quiet auto-focus motor (unlike the noisy kit lenses- which is only important when you're shooting movies in a quiet environment like a wedding or musical recital). The drawbacks to the lens are found in the other comments as well.. its fairly heavy compared to the kit lenses (but aren't all broad focal length lenses heavy?), the lens extends to full zoom when you have it around your neck and point it downwards (called "lens creep" I think?).. unless you use the "lock".. and the last thing was I was surprised to notice that the difference between a focal length of 200 and 270 is MINIMAL! I was thinking I'd have a new lens that would really reach out there and take tighter shots than my 75-200 lens, but the extra 70mm's is really not noticeable. That's not the lenses fault, just my inexperience.
Summary: great lens, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I am an amateur weekend photograph who likes landscapes, architectural and nature photography.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Weight, ease of handling & quality of performance

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

This lens would have gotten a five star rating if I had not tried to focus manually with the camera pointing down. Rather frustrating trying to keep the lens from creeping and focusing at the same time. Otherwise a great lens.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

Great lens .. lighter than the sigma 18-250 (and more expensive. It will be my one lens for travelling.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

The perfect all in one lens.PZD works just great,and this lens is a perfect companion to my Sony SLT A55V.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

This lens is amazing! It is sharp and beautiful from 18 all the way to 270. If you are looking for a one lens solutions this is it. You won't be disappointed.

Comments about Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD Lens for Sony:

I like the range of this lens - obviously that is the part that catches everyone's eye. I wanted this to replace the kit 18-55mm and the 55-200mm lenses and have a large range. It is a good lens, better than the Sony kit lenses and it takes up less space, obviously. The downside of this lens is that it collapses and expands at will, so you have to hold it steady at the focal length you want, and put the lock switch on when you store your DSLR. The wide-angle is pretty good, not the best; the zoon is pretty good, not the best but in between everything looks pretty darn good. The sweet spot of this lens is between 50 and 200mm. The Bokeh is OK, I guess. You're paying for convenience, but if you want a great lens, you may want to spend more money. For [$] this is a good buy, even better if you can sell the 2-3 lenses in your bag it will replace if you like it.