Tamron AF 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF)
1. Introduction
The advantage of reflex cameras over compact cameras consists of a possibility of attaching such lenses as you please or you can afford at the moment. That’s why some people wonder what the point of the construction of megazooms really is – after all such lenses are not blessed with good quality and all they do is to reduce a reflex camera to the level of a compact. The analogue era megazooms usually featured 28-300 mm focal lengths and with appearing of small APS-C/DX sensors, the devices with 18-200 mm range became their equivalent. On the other hand, we can easily imagine a situation in which such zooms might be useful – like going on a trip without having a possibility of taking five lenses with you and then making prints not bigger than 10x15 or 13x18. The lens of such type will also come in handy in difficult conditions, when constant swapping lenses might make the sensor dirty and even damage the whole camera. In such conditions a permanently attached universal 18-200 mm lens can perform well and help us avoid many troubles.
That’s why we are not surprised by the fact that this type of instrument is found in every producer’s line-up. Some go as far as equipping it with image stabilization (Nikon, Sigma) and others increase the focal lengths range (the Tamron 18-250 mm).
Please Support UsIf you enjoy our reviews and articles, and you want us to continue our work please, support our website by donating through PayPal. The funds are going to be used for paying our editorial team, renting servers, and equipping our testing studio; only that way we will be able to continue providing you interesting content for free. |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The first 18-200 mm megazoom which went through the machine of our tests was the Tamron AF 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II, lent for the testing purposes by the Fotocenter company.
You are also invited to get acquainted with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test lenses?" If you feel it’s still not enough, please go to our FAQ section where you can find some further explanation.
