Tamron 18-400mm DI II VC HLD (Page 2): I went to Africa with this lens in June. I have been posting pictures this past week or so. Please look at my posts for images taken with the...

byuaceman Loc: Mesa, AZ

I went to Africa with this lens in June. I have been posting pictures this past week or so. Please look at my posts for images taken with the Tamron.

jaycoffman Loc: San Diego

azlynn wrote:

I have this lens and use it as my walk-around lens. A bit heavy, when paired with my camera, but so what? I really like it. A word of caution: when in Africa on safari, beware of changing lenses out in the bush... dust is everywhere, and with static electricity, you can get a lot of dust/grit in your camera if you are not careful. The two camera bodies suggestion is a good one...

I concur with this answer. I have been using this lens on my Nikon d7100 for over a year now with a trip to South America and one to Southern Africa and many other shorter trips. I got it to replace my Tamron 16-300 which had served me well but I wanted the extra reach of the 18-400 and it gives me what I wanted. It is a great walk-around travel lens when you don't know what you're going to want to shoot. This is specially true in Africa where we saw leopards and lions and elephants within five feet of our vehicle and then saw rhinos and other animals a couple hundred yards away just seconds later. Azlynn is also correct that changing lenses in the field in Africa is a losing proposition as there is always dust everywhere. In fact I keep mine wrapped in a towel when not in use--but still around my neck and ready to go. I'm sure there are sharper lenses for when you have the time to use them and change them but I am very happy with many of the shots I got. (I did keep a 50mm 1.4 prime for night shooting as that's the weakest point of the 18-400.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I just sold one for a friend of mine but not before I gave it a try. It worked ok, but felt cheap in my hands. It doesn't zoom very smooth either. But the pictures were acceptable but it did have a lot of CA very evident in contrast edges of white flower pedals.

Rickoshay Loc: Southern California

I just got this lens last Friday for my 80D. So far I am happy with it. I am a hobbyist so tack sharp images are nice when I can get them but not super critical. I have noticed it struggles to focus a bit in low-ish light. In decent light it is quick, reasonably sharp, and quiet. Pretty tough to beat for the money imho.

gkuep1945 Loc: Dowling Park, Florida

I have the 18-400 lens. I use it on my Canon 70D. Could not get good focus so sent camera and lens to Tamron for calibration. Still cannot get a perfect shot. It looks great till I zoom in. At 100% zoom I cannot find any point anywhere in my photo that's perfectly crisp and in sharp focus. I had better shots with the older 18-270 lens, which I traded.

jedcardio

Great lens. I recently used it in Africa and Argentina as my only lens with great results.

Jphenney Loc: Ohio

I tried this lens at the Tamron VIP Summit in September. Not a bad lense for it's price. Good everyday lens. Not as sharp as the Tamron 100 to 400. If I was going to Africa I would want more the the 14 to 400. I would take the 100 to 400

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

DebAnn wrote:

This is model number B028. Does anyone have this lens? If so, could you please report your findings. Was it a good choice? I'd like to receive feedback from actual users, not stuff people have read on the net. I'm interested in photographing wildlife in Africa.

Go to the top of the page and go to 'users list.' Search for 'Sylvias' and she has a lot of topics using this lens.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

Thank you - I have already been in touch with Sylvia who sent me lots of great photos shot with this lens.I could see that "the proof is in the pudding".

Blaster34 wrote:

Go to the top of the page and go to 'users list.' Search for 'Sylvias' and she has a lot of topics using this lens.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

I have this lens on a Canon SL2. Hard to beat at this price point. Does it match a Canon L lens - well no, but then it is a third or less the price of Canon’s best glass. Good all-around lens. I don’t think you would be disapointed.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

Thank you all very much for your valuable feedback on this lens. Very much appreciated.
Deb

aleizadogg Loc: North Carolina

DebAnn wrote:

This is model number B028. Does anyone have this lens? If so, could you please report your findings. Was it a good choice? I'd like to receive feedback from actual users, not stuff people have read on the net. I'm interested in photographing wildlife in Africa.

I have the 18 to 400. I'd like it but it is a crop sensor .

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

DebAnn wrote:

This is model number B028. Does anyone have this lens? If so, could you please report your findings. Was it a good choice? I'd like to receive feedback from actual users, not stuff people have read on the net. I'm interested in photographing wildlife in Africa.

This lens by Tamron, 18-400mm, is a very popular and highly rated lens on this forum. Do a Uhh search. It is a crop sensor designed zoom lens. On a Nikon crop sensor, you will get a maximum field of view of 600mm. Slightly more on a Canon crop sensor. That should be sufficient for daylight photos on your trip to Africa. Most say it can be handheld easily.

steinr98

I have the Tamron 18-400 and it is a great walk around lens- no question about it!! However... and here it comes... If you are a perfectionist.. then go for the 100 to 400 or the 150 to 600 G2 (and only the G2- much sharper!!). The 18-400 is a good lens but it is not comparable to top lenses on the market. Again... beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!! Needless to say, you get what yo pay for! That rule has never changed! The one and only lens has not been invented yet!

cathy.nordstrom

I bought it for my Grand Teton vacation this summer and it was great. I just bought a D810 and so just for grins I did some comparison shots with it, a Nikon 17-55 and a Tamron 15-30. The sharpness was the same as both of these great lenses. The only thing I noticed was some slight chromatic aberrations. I was very happy with it. I'll be selling it soon to get an FX replacement so let me know and I'll give you a great deal!