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Tamron 18-400
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Jan 1, 2019 18:06:17   #
Nick Nichols Loc: Greenwood,S.C.
 
I am thinking about buying Tamron 18-400 Has anyone had any experience with this lens. Is it worth $500.00 plus dollars? Please give some advice as I can buy a new one for $479.00 if I act fast.

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Jan 1, 2019 18:11:22   #
Andrew Slater
 
I bought one for a trip tp Alaska in 2017 and it hasn’t been off my camera since. I paid full price and love it. I would grab it at that price

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Jan 1, 2019 19:08:20   #
MT Shooter Loc: Montana
 
Nick Nichols wrote:
I am thinking about buying Tamron 18-400 Has anyone had any experience with this lens. Is it worth $500.00 plus dollars? Please give some advice as I can buy a new one for $479.00 if I act fast.


The Tamron 18-400mm lens is $599 on sale through 1-5-19. If you found one for $479 anywhere (probaby Ebay) it is grey market. Please check Tamrons website for grey market lens policies, you will have NO WARRANTY of any kind on them and Tamron USA will not work on them under any circumstances.

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Jan 1, 2019 20:52:01   #
Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin
 
Nick Nichols wrote:
I am thinking about buying Tamron 18-400 Has anyone had any experience with this lens. Is it worth $500.00 plus dollars? Please give some advice as I can buy a new one for $479.00 if I act fast.


For the price, love it. It has some (minor) drawbacks (a bit heavy and not fast lens) but takes great pictures and good all around lens.

See sample photos when we visited Yellowstone last summer.

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-554285-1.html

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-553893-1.html

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Jan 1, 2019 22:23:13   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Nick Nichols wrote:
I am thinking about buying Tamron 18-400 Has anyone had any experience with this lens. Is it worth $500.00 plus dollars? Please give some advice as I can buy a new one for $479.00 if I act fast.


I have one. Whether you will be happy it will depend on your expectations. It is a superzoom lens and as a result its IQ will not be as good as more dedicated prime lenses or shorter zooms. It also tends to have greater barrel and pincushion distortion than better lenses although that can be mostly fixed in post processing. It's reasonably sharp in the center of the frame but less sharp at the edges. It is also less sharp at 300mm to 400mm and not the lens to get if you want pin sharp birding pictures. But as a general walk around lens for not critical images its probably the best affordable, crop sensor designed, all purpose superzoom lens available. I've attached 3 images of the same subject from the same location, a ship in the far distance. All were handheld. The first one is at 18MM, the second at 56mm, and the third at 400mm. All three were shot in raw and post processed in DXO PhotoLab Elite. Click download to view them at full screen resolution, and click again on the downloaded image to see them at full resolution.

Ship in distance at 18 mm
Ship in distance at 18 mm...
(Download)

Ship in distance at 56 mm
Ship in distance at 56 mm...
(Download)

Ship in distance at 400 mm
Ship in distance at 400 mm...
(Download)

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Jan 1, 2019 22:24:21   #
Transbuff1985 Loc: east central Iowa
 
Nick Nichols wrote:
I am thinking about buying Tamron 18-400 Has anyone had any experience with this lens. Is it worth $500.00 plus dollars? Please give some advice as I can buy a new one for $479.00 if I act fast.

Just got one this Christmas haven't tried it to much, mother nature been nasty here in Iowa. Definitely an outdoor lens.But think I will love it, Wanted good all around walking lens to suit most needs. I think it will suit my purpose. I have the T6 starter kit with 2 lenses 18-50mm, 70-300mm lens. I can say that the Tamron as far as smoothness and quieter it is a far better lens, seems to focus a little bit quicker if you have sufficient light. Got mine for $449.00 on sale from local camera store. Has 6 year warranty. For that price I didn't hesitate. Seams to have good review although only been out since last summer. Good Luck.

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Jan 1, 2019 23:30:51   #
SueScott Loc: Hammondsville, Ohio
 
I've had mine since last October - it's my favorite lens. You won't regret buying one, just make sure that the too good to be true price isn't for a grey market product.

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Jan 2, 2019 00:18:56   #
Transbuff1985 Loc: east central Iowa
 
SueScott wrote:
I've had mine since last October - it's my favorite lens. You won't regret buying one, just make sure that the too good to be true price isn't for a grey market product.



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Jan 2, 2019 07:55:30   #
Papa j Loc: Cary NC
 
Andrew Slater wrote:
I bought one for a trip tp Alaska in 2017 and it hasn’t been off my camera since. I paid full price and love it. I would grab it at that price



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Jan 2, 2019 07:58:54   #
mborn Loc: Massachusetts
 
A good basic lens

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Jan 2, 2019 08:26:30   #
Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA
 
I bought a new one last year, happy with it. Use it for outdoor and indoor sports. Great lens for the money. Even got a rebate for it.

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Jan 2, 2019 08:38:08   #
wetreed
 
The Tamron 18-400 is the absolute best lens in its class. It’s the most versatile lens you could ever have. Image quality and fast focus are amazing. Any compromises this lens might have are so minor you will never notice. I speak from experience , I have achieved excellent results from mine and almost never take it off the camera.

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Jan 2, 2019 08:51:25   #
suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ
 
Thanks for posting- very helpful.

mwsilvers wrote:
I have one. Whether you will be happy it will depend on your expectations. It is a superzoom lens and as a result its IQ will not be as good as more dedicated prime lenses or shorter zooms. It also tends to have greater barrel and pincushion distortion than better lenses although that can be mostly fixed in post processing. It's reasonably sharp in the center of the frame but less sharp at the edges. It is also less sharp at 300mm to 400mm and not the lens to get if you want pin sharp birding pictures. But as a general walk around lens for not critical images its probably the best affordable, crop sensor designed, all purpose superzoom lens available. I've attached 3 images of the same subject from the same location, a ship in the far distance. All were handheld. The first one is at 18MM, the second at 56mm, and the third at 400mm. All three were shot in raw and post processed in DXO PhotoLab Elite. Click download to view them at full screen resolution, and click again on the downloaded image to see them at full resolution.
I have one. Whether you will be happy it will depe... (show quote)

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Jan 2, 2019 09:20:54   #
47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range
 
Last February, I attended a photo tour/workshop in Costa Rica. There was a member with a Tamron 18-400 on a Nikon, who very happy with his images. I asked him about the lens for my Canon 7d2. He had a friend who shoots with combination. The friend contacted me about a week later. His comments mirror for the most part the threads on this post. He highly recommended as his preferred walkabout for his 7d2. If your $479 deal expires soon, but the dealer is authorized and has a return policy you can accept, I say, go for it.

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Jan 2, 2019 09:32:28   #
uniqueharm Loc: New Jersey
 
Returned the first one due to focusing issue. Received a replacement which was sent in for repair 2 times due to focusing issues which they stated was fixed. Not happy with this lens at all.

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