The purchase of my Tamron 18-200mm VC lens in July, 2020 was purely out of necessity brought on by COVID-19. Specifically, I found that a lens of that dynamic range was needed to capture content for It’s About Airplanes.
The travel restrictions brought on by the Coronavirus meant a drastic reduction in flights. For a site that was built specifically for aviation photography, this wasn’t a great thing at all. Worse, the majority of our photos are taken at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The reduction in flights meant a reduction in active runways. Our go-to spot, that was just perfect for a 55-250mm lens, happened to rely on the runway that was left inactive.
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The available vantage points on the other runway were much closer to the airplanes. To capture usable photos, I needed a wider angle lens but also needed to zoom in tight when the airplanes were first approaching and after they passed by. 18-200mm certainly provided that range.
What’s more, the sharpness and speed of the lens are quite comparable to OEM at a much reduced cost.
(See below for photo examples…)
My Tamron 18-200mm Lens Purchase
I ordered my lens on July 1, 2020 and received it not long after. At the time, I paid a total of $349.42 CAD, including shipping costs. I recently looked and that price is down to $282.91. Part of the reason, I believe, is that the Canadian dollar has strengthened since the time of my purchase.
About The Lens
For the 18-200mm, Tamron boasts a newly designed autofocus drive module. It certainly shows. The lens is faster, quieter and more precise. One of my favourite Tamron lenses is the 70-300mm macro zoom. The crispness and quality of that lens is amazing. However, the autofocus is a bit clunky, loud and slow. I often use it for landscapes where I can put the camera on a tripod and use manual focus.
The VC, the new technology, stands for vibration control. It certainly allows for sharp handheld shots and is quite similar in quality to the Canon OEM stabilization control.
This Tamron Megazoom Class lens is built to be an all-around product perfect for vacations and any other time you don’t want to, or can’t, carry a full camera kit. I love it for kayaking and canoeing, certainly a situation where I don’t want to drag around the whole arsenal.
This lens is only for crop sensor cameras. It’s lightweight at 14.1 ounces or 400 grams. As with many (all?) Tamron lenses, it takes 62mm screw-on filters.
My Take On The Tamron 18-200mm
As mentioned, this was meant as a specific duty lens to capture aviation photography. However, it has truly become the default. The Tamron 18-200mm is always on the camera until something else is needed.
At what is now around $300, the price is about double what I paid for the 70-300mm macro zoom. However, the improved autofocus and the incredible range from wide to zoom make it worth the price.
As with all Tamron lenses, just remember, when you spin to zoom in or zoom out, it works in the opposite direction as an OEM Canon lens…
Tamron 18-200mm Range
Some simple shots taken in Orangeville, Ontario. The left is at 18mm, the right is at 200mm and the centre is at 70mm.
Tamron 18-200mm Product Gallery
A few shots taken in the studio…
Photo Examples Taken With This Lens
Photos taken with the lens on a stock photo day trip to Kitchener, Ontario. The shot of the Cambridge City Hall in Galt (top row, centre) shows the wide angle range – this photo of the around six story building was taken from the sidewal across the road.
