TAMRON - 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD - Zoom lens for APS-C mirrorless Sony cameras - Model B061S

Amazing lens, I'm a hobbiest photographer so I cannot compare it to a high end lensMy other lens is a Sony SEL2870 (28-70mm FF f3.5-5.6) and so far it is much better. Paired it with a "Tarion Camera Sling Bag" and fits snugly. Attached images are from a test day with it at Chester ZooFocuses quickly, images are sharp and the zoom is great.Macro works very well.Heavy if you have to hold the camera for a long period of timeLow light is not the best but is still achievableNot too heavy for a tripod, it does not need aMount thankfully!Very noisy compared to the SEL2870 especially when toggling power to the camera but that isn't an issue in realitySurvived a small drizzle of rain no issuesWould like a bigger hood but glad it had oneHope to trial it with an ND filter soon to see how it does on long exposure.Good value for £489 compared to other lenses

I've used Tamron lenses before, usually because they offer a wider focal range than Fuji's own brand lenses. The Tamron's perfect for close shots and with a 300mm reach is ideal for general zoom work and wildlife photography. In other words, you can use it for most types of photography, making it the only lens you need.It's well built, has a smooth zooming action and produces sharp, focused images. The autofocus is quick enough for most situations under normal lighting conditions. It's fairly light and compact and comes with a lens hood.It works well with my Fujifilm XS-10 mirrorless camera and helps me avoid the need to carry several lenses and interchange them.

Loved this lens for my Sony, super versatile focal length range, sharp, 100% recommended

Quality item with 5 years warranty. Perfect pictures and easy to use.

If you are prepared to sacrifice image quality over the flexibility of its zoom range you'll be happy with this lens. I wasn't expecting anything like prime standard images but it definitely lacks contrast and is poor beyond 200mm. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the zoom ring is so stiff it fights you all the way from 18-200mm then gives up the ghost and just jumps to 300mm. This will probably ease off after use but it's impossible to smoothly zoom in if you're handholding the camera.The aperture is controlled via the front command dial and it has a very noticeable delay between turning the dial and the aperture changing in the viewfinder, so I was constantly readjusting the aperture. Autofocus is okay in good light but I tried a few shots at 200-300mm indoors in a well lit room and it kept hunting, often not locking on atThis is a shame as there are many reviews online which praise this lens and it's highly possible I've just fell unlucky with a bad copy. Regardless, I've returned my copy and as I bought it from Camera Centre UK via Amazon, I've had to pay towards the cost of the return. So, all-in-all, I'm not impressed with the lens, Amazon and the Camera Centre UK.

High quality, versatile and good form factor

This lens does everything, other than low light photography, well. It’s great for travel and wildlife; works well for street and landscape photography; can produce decent portraits; and has really useful close focus. My main issue is the need to bump up the ISO at 300mm. My Fujifilm 70-300 is just that bit better at all focal lengths and has better image stabilisation. But it can’t match the flexibility of the Tamron, which still produces very pleasing images.Update: I recently managed to take a very sharp indoor low-light photo, hand-held at very low shutter speed (can’t be precise as I’ve lost the Exif data). The photo was taken at 18mm, f3.5. Also, on a recent dog walk with just this lens, I captured birds in flight, action from a rugby match, a landscape view of a distant cathedral and a close up of a flower. All very nicely rendered photos. That’s what I call flexibility!

Item returned. Despite all the rave reviews about this lens I found it extremely disappointing. Soft at the short and long end of the zoom range. Fringing around the subject and a very tight zoom ring, not good for video work which requires a smooth focus and zoom action.Yes the range of zoom is staggering but at a cost, an expensive cost quite literally, don’t be sucked into all of the online positive reviews you’ll only be disappointed, like me from now on, stick to prime lenses.