Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD lens review with samples
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- A few months ago, Tamron broke yet another superzoom lens record by releasing this instrument, with its astonishing 18-400mm zoom range. I remember seeing early sample pictures on the internet and actually being quite impressed with its image quality at 400mm. Let's put it through its paces.
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link) (Be sure to get the right lens for your camera system):
geni.us/tamron18400
All pictures shot by me on a Canon EOS M3 camera.
If you've found this or other videos I've made to be helpful, then support me on Patreon! / christopherfrost
Equipment I use to make my videos (Amazon affiliate links):
Canon EOS R5: geni.us/CanonEOSR5Body
Canon EF-RF Adaptor: geni.us/CanonEFtoRF
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 'Art': geni.us/Sigma50mm14Art
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM: geni.us/CanonRF35mm18Macro
Marumi Fit and Slim CPL Filter: geni.us/MarumiFitSlim77
AudioTechnica AT2020USB+ Microphone: geni.us/AT2020USBPlusMic
Rode Smartlav+ Microphone: geni.us/RodeSmartLavalierPlus
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DJI Mini 2 Drone: geni.us/DJIMini2FlyMore
Music:
'Opportunity Walks', Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Minute 1:20 „...it will also appeal to people, who know nothing about photography but just want the lens with the biggest numbers on it" that is gold
ha ha ha. truly gold.
Savage
I disagree with the notion that big-range zooms like this one are for "people who know nothing about photography" lenses. They fill a need. Sometimes you can only bring one lens and if that lens does not have the range you simply cannot get the shots. On hiking trips, for example, I have found primes are absolutely useless and small-range zooms to be mostly useless. You will be swapping lenses constantly and in adverse conditions that will likely put dust and dirt inside your lens and camera body. While they are generally better lenses optically, AF, bokeh, etc., they are simply not the best lenses for that job.
Perfection, also the way how he says it. To funny xD
HAHAHAHA! That was hilarious!
Well done. This is the best review of this lens that I have seen. Like many of your other reviews, you provide a good balance of technical analysis and practical advice. I also like how you combine both rest shots and real-world photos/videos in your review.
what a great video. its rare to have someone on youtube provide such a comprehensive yet well articulated assessment. he covered all the bases without getting lost in jargon and the objectivity shone thru.
I have this lens. This is the most honest evaluation of this lens I have seen. If you are looking for sharp images, don't even shoot at less than f8. That being said, if you understand photography at all, you can see the limitations of this lens. It's a good amateur lens for people who are not "pixel peepers". I enjoy this lens, but for $650.00 U.S. I was hoping for a bit more.
Camera: So in what focal length do want to shoot today?
Me: Yes.
Shame it couldn't go to 16mm
I wanted so much to like this lens, for range and size. But you are quite right about the severe focus breathing. On my backyard bird feeders (at a distance of say 7m), 400 mm could barely match the magnification on my 250 mm zoom. Since I like to shoot birds at close range, this wasn't very useful. So I traded up for the Tamron 100-400 F4.5-6.3 VC, which has minimal focus breathing. Thanks for alerting me to the issue, which most reviews overlook.
Thank you so much Christipher. I have been waiting for your review since the time the lens had been launched. Thank you for your insight.
I've have waiting for this video. Thanks Christopher, great review! Greetings from Mexico
Mate, your voice is so relaxing....I don't do that ASMR stuff but I imagine you'd make those folks crazy excited XD Thanks for the consistent quality vids!
Finally, I've been waiting for so long. Thanks, Chris.
what a great review. i was hoping for an in depth review on the 18 - 400. yours was very pleasant to listen to, and great music choice
I love that you're using an M3. I'm 1 month into my journey to being a videographer and I don't see many TH-camrs using an M3. Thank you.
In all Tamron 18-400 reviews, yours is the best. Actually all your videos are best. Background music is good, voice is good and showing more samples while talking. Others has long videos of themselves than showing samples while explaining.
Ah, thanks so much for this review ! Was waiting for this one :)
Excellent review, per usual. Thanks, Chris.
Thanks chris!! Finally! Was looking forward to this review!😊
Got this to take pics while working my conservation job bc we’re outside all day in fairly remote areas and get to see a lot of cool critters. I love it’s versatility and durability, it sat in my backpack most of the time and got tossed around but never scratched or broke. The only thing I’d say to be aware of is that if you leave the lens zoomed anywhere around 100mm and then let it hang at your side or point it down the lens will drop all the way out to 400mm. I think most lenses with this kind of range will do that but in my experience this lens does it more often. For me, it also struggles to find focus when it’s zoomed in and a bit darker, like when it’s cloudy and you’re in the woods so I’ve had to mostly do manual focusing if something is farther away
Very clear & unbiased review , loved your soothing voice.
very useful review, every time I asked "and how about.." you went and did it! thanks.
Thanks again for an excellent review. My general travel lens used to be a Sigma 18-250 but this one has easily replaced it although it is heavier and more expensive. It is sharper and gives the extra reach as you have pointed out in your review. One thing I don't like about it though is slow to nearly no focusing at the 400mm end. I may have a bad copy though but it is still fun to use and can replace several lenses when traveling unless I have a very specific target that requires another lens. Cheers and keep up the good work. I really appreciate your efforts and miss that old brick wall. Maybe you can replicate it somehow in a virtual reality setting ;-)
Thanks for your honest review. This really helped me understand about it much better. Thank you once again ❤️
finally! ive been waiting for your take on this lens forever now as i feel you are the only one who can really convince me to buy this lens
Great review, Chris, thank you for details, very clear British pronunciation and your opinion that looks unbiased for me ;).
This was really helpful, thank you for posting.
Excellent and concise review thank you
It's an all rounder lens. Performance is quite satisfactory and I have no more to worry which other lens I have to carry during my travels.
I respect your reviews greatly and go by them.
Fantastic and detailed review... many thanks 👍
Very helpful review. Love your attention to detail and the image quality tests. Sorry to say this, but I really hate the background music and found it very distracting, but I understand that's a personal thing. Thank you for this video!
Finally.. thanks for ur review. I think i'll buy this lens soon
I hope that Tamron will introduce a similar lens for mirrorless cameras or at least an α-mount version of this lens.
You just use a metabones on Micro Four Third. Not one of the speed boosters but the regular adapters with the little electrical contacts.
Tamron listened to your desire. 28-200 is out !
I love the review mate.
Thanks for this...I am learning photography and have mostly shot astrophotos but now I am finding I shoot more in the day time if a subject peaks my interest. When shooting at night the aperture is wide open all of the time but I am finding in the day time you have to use different aperture settings to improve image quality and sharpness. Thanks for putting this out I can't wait to start improving image sharpness!
Hi Chris, I bought this lens and have been pretty happy with it. I use it a lot on my Canon EOS M5 camera with the EF/M adapter and often travel now with this lens and the M 11-22mm lens. I ended up selling the M 55-200mm as this is sharper, has a bigger focal range and is only a bit larger than the M lens.
How is the focus on the mirrorless cameras?
I have used this tamron 18-400mm with most of my photography and videography and I was quite empressed with the sharpness of the pictures and the bokeh effect on the videos that I have created with this lens
Thank you Chris! I've been dreaming of getting an all-in-one lens like this for my backpacking and kayaking trips. On those, taking multiple big heavy lenses isn't really practical. Unfortunately due to it's poor image quality, it still looks like I am going to be sticking with my smaller Canon kit lenses for these trips or take just one of my bigger lenses if I am willing to limit myself on zoom range. I really appreciate your approach to reviewing lenses. Keep up the great work!
Derakkon2 you can look into a Nikon Coolpix P900. It works great for hiking and traveling and I purchased a refurbished one with a holster bag and some accessories from B&H Photography for less $$ than this lens.
Perfect for some Barry Lyndon zoom shots.
This Lens is amazing! Wish list stand me ontop!!!!
Great review
I am using 18- 400 is a all rounder budget and travelling lense for all purpose photography its really worth and awesome lense from Tamron
very nice review!
thankyou for this review!!
I was thinking about buying this lens but the point about the focal length whilst close to a subject was really important, so thank you for mentioning it. I basically want much closer images of bird's heads/eyes but most of these subjects are in my garden or local park. Is there a lens you'd recommend for this?
Thank you for very concise, thorough and competent review, as always! I currently use a Sony 18-105 f/4 lens, electric zoom, as the video lens, but, after your conclusions, I'll try the Tamron 16-300 to see it will fit for travel. (I have a sigma MC-11 adapter).
Amigo, usted tiene videos de TODOS los lentes que he buscado, increíble!!! Gracias
already f/5 at 50mm. oof. it's always fun finding the various compromises of a product as unique as a superzoom lens under 1k. thanks for review. would only buy for serious daytime wildlife and sports stuff as opposed to actually using all that range, so can't justify the addition. Still a great option for anyone who legitimately wants one lens at all times (of the day, lol)
Very good review :)
Your reviews are always very good and detailed 👍👍. However, after using this lens for nearly 2 years now, I faced some issues which take away the fun in shooting. First, auto focus is not very good especially if you are zoomed in and need to jump between subjects, like birds or if you are tracking a moving subject. The auto focus gets lost sometimes and keeps hunting. Second, the zoom ring behaves weird, sometimes too tight and sometimes not, causing you to over or under zoom. At such high focal lengths, time is very precious to compose the shot and click. I have lost many good shots due to above two problems. Finally the moving focus ring, which I did not think would be a problem, gets under my fingers and reminds me that I need to take care of that. These niggles snatch the fun in taking the pictures. I use a Canon 80D body. Guess a all in one lens is too much to ask for. I am planning therefore for the Canon 70-300 L lens. Yes I have to carry two lenses, but still the niggles will not be there. Happy shooting 😊😊😊😊
Amazing video. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Mexico.
this is the best lens review ever existed
Thank you, I was waiting for your review of this particular lens, I was considering it for its reach (although I’m not really into super zoom lenses).
I’m disappointed by the quality at 18mm and even more by the heavy focus breathing. That may be an issue even for wildlife photography!
Great Diplomatic Review.....Thanks!
Impressive video on tamron 18-400. Will you please tell me which are appropriate tele converters for this lens.
Tamron has patented recent an APS-C lens with similar focal range designed for mirrorless cameras. I hope it will released soon. Tamron is very specialized with super zoom lenses.
Hi, your review is super detailed and helpful for me while I'm looking to buy a super lens, but may I ask your comparison of this Tamorn 18-400mm vs Sigma 18-300mm? Thanks.
It has proven to be an excellent lens on my Canon T7i and my go to lens now, I have no complaints
Following your reviews I found out that if you want to use a lens in the 100-400mm on an APS-C you should use tamron's 18-400mm. The 100-100mm of both tamron, sigma and canon's original 100-400mm give les satisfactory results on APS-C camera. I might be wrong but that's the lofgical conclusion of mine watching your videos. Thank you Chris and feel free to criticize my statement (that's applies as well to all other youtuber friends :)
Compared this with the Tamron 100-400mm and according to your reviews, this lens in terms of sharpness, performs almost the same between 100-300mm, and even better at 400mm on APS-C. Of course, probably CA and AF performance will be better on the 100-400 lens, but this lens is really good alternative on the telephoto end. And I will probably buy next to my Tamron 17-35.
Could you perhaps do a review of the Sony 24-240mm lens? I would be very interested in it's sharpness and there aren't any in depth reviews out there like yours.
same here!
Listened to Chris and bought the 18-35 Art for my 7d2 and 80d.
And that lens is magnificent, so insanely sharp and ridiculously good. Thanks for the opinions Chris.
Anyway, neat review mate.
劍曉 Same, I bought the 18-35 for my 80D. It is very good... How long have you had it?
have u had any af problems?
Federico Opfinger I did have issues at first, but got it calibrated via Sigma. It works well now but some adjustments may need to be made in the camera settings... If you buy one used make sure it has a good warranty, or you are willing to make adjustments in camera... (I use 80D)
I also use the 18-35 on my 80D :) I have it for something like 2 years and it stays on the camera 90% of the time. I didn't have to make any adjustments. When it misfocuses I think it's the 80D's fault, similar results like in DPreview AF test and does the same with Canon lenses too. One particular quirk is that in Live View it often doesn't nail the focus which I don't think it's a lens problem.
Just got it a few days ago……And focusing issues were kind of obvious at 35mm. Straight out of the box, it jerked a little at the tele end when I pushed the apterture, and only focused a half of my shots.
Still, there's nothing the usb dock and some nerdy calibration can't solve……I did some tests for a while, and after a few hours, the lens worked perfectly on both bodies.
By the way, I honestly recommend getting all Sigma stuff brand new……The three year warrenty internationally is just great, and the support centres can be really helpful when your new art lens sh*ts on you. I'm definetly paying more for that.
I use this lens as one of my main lenses. Tracking moving aircraft 100m to 1km away it has a jerky autofocus and often isn't perfectly in focus. Sometimes it simply refuses to focus
Reuben Morison is it the lens or the camera? focusing at f6.3 can be tricky for AF systems, "official" AF glass is never darker than f5.6
That will happen with a lot of lenses because you're shooting an object that's small in the frame and against a low contrast background, also this lens isn't parfocal so it doesn't maintain the same minimum focus distance throughout the range which would let you zoom without losing focus. A mid range SLR body at minimum like Canon xxD series or 7D Mark ii tend to handle it better though.
@@KandiKlover no, this is filling the frame with a high contrast background.
Yay, thanks!
Currently enjoying a Tamron 70-300 VC USD on 70D, An Awesome Lens and your review helped me to decide on it. Got it for $170 used tho...
Zaber Ansary ive had that lens once. Its amazingly sharp for the price. The VC is also surprisingly super stable too.
Just wish Tamron made these Zooms for Sony.
Request to review Tamron 18-400 with Canon EOS M6 Mark 2
Hello Christopher. What mike do you use for your videos and what is your suggestions for solo mics that give a rich sound. I am using Nikon d3400 which does not have mic jack, so I should only use external mic and than sync it manually
I use an Audio Technica AT202 and plug it into my computer
Hey Christopher, I wanted to ask you if a 72mm 2.2x telephoto screw on lens will work on the Tamron 18-400mm HLD lens,. Thank you.
The one lens to rule the all range!
Hey Chris, how did this focus on your EOS M3? Considering this combo for my mom.
It was okay, no real problems as far as I remember
It would be great if you could make a review about latest Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 Art, and perhaps, a comparison with Canon's 24-70s and Tamron's one too
It's been 4 years.. let's see how it does on a Canon R7... Tamron even updated its firmware to work better with the R7... And Happy New Years! 😊
Thanks for the excellent review. Will this work on EOS R without any problems?
I have no idea I'm afraid. It /should/ work but if it does, you'll have heavy vignetting in your image because the EOS R is a full-frame camera
Any plans of reviewing the 150-600 G2? :)
Can you please do a review on the 18-300mm Canon L lens. Your reviews are perfect for me and I can really relly on. Thanks again..
Hi, I have a question? what lens is that on the far buttom right corner? 12:45 Thanks and God bless
Hey, i'v been watching your videos for a while now and wanted to ask you i currently have s canon 80D and a 50mm 1.8 my sigms 18-200 broke i'm looking for an all purpurse lens what do you think for 200€ is the sigma 17-70mm my best bet?
Hello Chris, can I use this with the EF - EOS M adapter for my mirrorless camera? Planning to purchase zoom lens soon & I think this one is pretty awesome. 🤩
Yes you can
Some nice images of Cardigan...Grosvenor, Guild Hall.... nice
Один из моих любимых объективов!
It looks like a nice product. I like the weather seal and the long range in a small package. The only issue is that this lens must your first or last. I mean that if you are buying your first DSLR this will be a good choice to start with but if you are already with a camera this probably will be a lens that you will buy if you are going on vacation and you would like to travel lite.
Question if you're reading: I got the 18-400 Tamron. When I snap a photo, the picture area through the viewfinder jumps a little bit. Is this normal?
I've been waiting for this review for long time, and the comparison with the 16-300 is definitely a bonus. Well, I had doubts about this lens before, and after this review everything is clear to me now: I'm never going to buy it.
Ciao Massimo. Alla fine lo hai preso o cosa hai comprato in alternativa? Mi sembra di averti visto in altri commenti in altri video...
Amazing value, 3.5 isn't too bad and what a zoom range.
Too many compromises for me though. I got a 70-200 tamron vc for sport and it's spoiled me.
I guess if I was starting out I'd be strongly tempted though.
Love your reviews mate.
Peter Mitchell I hear the 70-300 is even sharper than this.. I'm also confused between this and the 70-300. I might go with the nikon af-p 70-300 for my dx d5300 body.
Yeah it's always tough, I needed a lens to shoot rugby under lights so I was corralled into getting a 2.8.
If you're shooting in daylight there's a much larger choice.
hi how would you compare the tamron 18-400 to the canon 70-300 is usm mkii lens
can i fit a extender to this lens fitted on a canon 80D
Does this do good in low light and also does it fit a canon rebel t5
Could you please review the Tamron 100-400 ?
So, I have a Canon Rebel EOS XTi. My lens that I had for 16 years finally gave up on me. It was an 18mm to 200mm lens from Quantaray. A Signa lens with the Quantaray Brand.
Now, I like to do bracketing at (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2). With my Canon XTI, I leave the setting on A-DEP. if I am not mistaken, that thumb wheel setting is full counter-clockwise! And stands for Auto-Depth. Now when I focus on something that’s about 10ft away, it pretty much stays on that object.
But it broke, so I had to buy a Tamron 18mm to 400mm. I was kind of hoping it would be like my last lens and give great performance, but it didn’t. Three days ago, we had a Hurricane trails come through my state of Arizona, and I expected to take some great shots.
But, so some reason, the lens when left on auto focus, changed the depth of field. So, when I stacked t the 5 exposures, the main focal point stacked, but everything around it did not stack and I had triple images of things around the main focal point. This has never happened to me and I have been taking pictures with this camera and Quantaray Lens for 16 years. Now, this new lens does work for me.
On my old lens, I could point the lens to a bush three feet away, switch the on auto focus, and then switch to manual so the lens would auto-focus. And it worked well.
Plus, I could leave in full auto-focus, and still not have this problem.
I guess I will have to play with the lens. Example: in your video, you did a close-up of a plastic duck. But off to the left of the image, you can see that the background had doubling and this is the problem I am having! Is there a way to fix that with this lens?
Thanks for your help in advance!
Please review the 7artisans 35mm f1.2
It's a very inexpensive lens, but is it any good?
good presentation.
I guess all is relative. I can shoot wide to super telephoto with ever having to expose the sensor to dust. I put this on a lumix G7 with an adapter and now get 36-800mm reach. Why I love Nikon lenses, Sigma and Canon lenses - this is a fantastic lens. Very good quality of construction.
If it will ever be released in a-mount I will buy this lens immediately
Hi Christopher,
Will Tamron lens 18-400mm fit and compatible on Nikon D5300? Please advise.
Honestly, I'm pretty impressed. Beats the piss out of a 18-55 kit lens.
Almost bought 1 last week, as I heard good reviews, but already have the Tamron 16/300,so I bought a Teleconverter X2 to try first at only £50
Would you recommend this lens for sports photography?
How match mani for you get fo the objektiv sory for my enlish
24-70mm please! Tamron G2 and Sigma Art :)
Thank you Christopher!
I was considering this lens for my Canon T3i (600D), but decided to go with a Nikon Coolpix P900 instead. It's a great all around camera with the best Super Zoom lens (in my opinion) and it cost about the same as this lens (cheaper if you buy refurbished like I did). It doesn't have the greatest autofocus, so trying to capture birds in flight might drive a person crazy, but it's great for an all-in-one lens/camera for hiking. At 24mm it's great with landscapes and at 2000mm you can identify animals from from 400m to 2km away 😂. If Nikon can make a new version with more DSLR/Mirrorless features then it'll be a complete game changer for photographers.
Ryan Landry I have the coolpix also but moving on to a canon 77d just looking for some zooms
iTraveller for the money I would rather go with a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM or Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM both of which Christopher highly recommended (and on my wishlist 😂). Both are less $$$ too. If you'll step up to full frame in the future then the 70-300 might be the best option since the 55-250 is only for APC mounts.
I personally wouldn't be happy spending $650 on an 18-400 lens with mediocre quality, but that's my opinion. If I need 400mm the Canon 400mm 5.6 prime is awesome! I'm sure there are many better zooms than this in the same price range.
You can always try renting some lens to try them out before buying. I've tried LensGiant.com and they are great, but kinda limited in selection unlike LensRentals.com which has a huge selection.
It all depends on what tool you need. If a wide range lens is what you need then the 18-400 will probably fill the need. It also depends on what you're shooting. You can always rent it first and see if you like it 😉
Ryan Landry thanks for the great reply I’ll checkout the 70-300 👍🏻
I have both the Tamron 18-300 (on a Canon M6 II) and the Nikon P900, and I use both for wildlife and birding. Truth be told, I enjoy both, but the P900 relies on contrast detect autofocus, which cannot compare with the dual pixel/phase detect autofocus in newer cameras. As a result, my hit rate is much higher with the Canon, particularly in low-light situations, and I avoid the frustration of missed opportunities. So unless there's a reason to travel light with my P900, I find myself preferring the Tamron. Just my two bits.
keep going man! :)
Hi,please suggest Tamron 100-400 or Tamron 18-400 which will be better for my canon 80D.thank you