Looking to buy a zoom lens, opinions on these two please!

Looking to buy a lens for my T4i. These are the two that I am considering. Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC PZD Piezo Drive Ultrasonic Motor Aspherical (IF) AF Zoom and the Tamron SP AF70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC Ultra Silent Drive (USD) Telephoto Zoom.

My biggest concern is the weight of the 70-300. It wouldn't be my walk around lens. I just need more zoom than I have now, which is the EF-S 18-135mm IS STM.

Would I miss that extra zoom on the heavier lens? IQ about the same? Anything else I need to consider?

Any input on these two lenses would be greatly appreciated.

sharod wrote in post #15948911
Looking to buy a lens for my T4i. These are the two that I am considering. Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC PZD Piezo Drive Ultrasonic Motor Aspherical (IF) AF Zoom and the Tamron SP AF70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC Ultra Silent Drive (USD) Telephoto Zoom.

My biggest concern is the weight of the 70-300. It wouldn't be my walk around lens. I just need more zoom than I have now, which is the EF-S 18-135mm IS STM.

Would I miss that extra zoom on the heavier lens? IQ about the same? Anything else I need to consider?

Any input on these two lenses would be greatly appreciated.

Tell us what you will photograph so we can give you more precise feedback please.

What i now can say is, the difference between 270 and 300 is not so much, and if you go for the 18-270, youll also have a half stop more light at 18mm. Also it goes from wide angle to telephoto which may be good for your desire...

I dont know both lenses but i think theyre both good when it comes to IQ, but better wait until someone who knows can tell you

I walk about with my 70-300 VC on a 7D most of the day and don't think its too heavy. However on my 600D the 70-300 VC made things very uncomfortable, and felt a little front heavy.

davidfarina wrote in post #15948931
Tell us what you will photograph so we can give you more precise feedback please.

What i now can say is, the difference between 270 and 300 is not so much, and if you go for the 18-270, youll also have a half stop more light at 18mm. Also it goes from wide angle to telephoto which may be good for your desire...

I dont know both lenses but i think theyre both good when it comes to IQ, but better wait until someone who knows can tell you

I mostly photograph landscapes and wildlife. But I also enjoy photographing people.

Paulstw wrote in post #15948932
I walk about with my 70-300 VC on a 7D most of the day and don't think its too heavy. However on my 600D the 70-300 VC made things very uncomfortable, and felt a little front heavy.

Good to know!


Just so you know, I know the basics of photography, but I am a total newbie when it comes to lenses. So any input is greatly appreciated!!!

sharod wrote in post #15948911
Would I miss that extra zoom on the heavier lens? IQ about the same? Anything else I need to consider?

You always could consider actual images generated with a Tamron 70-300mm vibration control lens, such as these.

DC Fan wrote in post #15948974
You always could consider actual images generated with a Tamron 70-300mm vibration control lens, such as these.

Among the best ways to evaluate a lens is to use it for images of uncontrolled three-dimensional subjects.

OK, photo hosting sites are blocked at work, but on my smartphone they look very good. Have to wait to get home tonight to fully appreicate them!

The image quality of the 70-300mm is much better than the 18-270mm. Keep the 18-135mm as your walk around and switch to the 70-300 for when you need the extra length.

It sounds like 55-250mm is the lens you need - decent quality (on par with your 18-135), and it is very light and cheap lens. I'd stay away from superzooms - the IQ is mediocre at best.

I've got both lenses and the 18-270's not bad at all. If you've got something like Lightroom that makes adjustments for the lens then it's even better. I had the original 18-270 and liked it so much I upgraded to the pzd version.

There's definitely something to be said for just having one lens that does it all. Having said that, I now only use the 18-270mm on holidays when I'm forbidden from taking more lenses. I found it a little bit slow at the wide end which makes indoor shots a bit tricky.

The 70-300's a great lens and is pretty cheap. You get used to the weight pretty quickly (I've just upgraded to the 70-300L and it's much heavier again and not a quantum leap better).

If you're really picky about picture quality and see yourself ending up with a collection of L glass and don't mind carrying around some extra lenses I'd say go for the 70-300 but otherwise I'd highly recommend the 18-270.

I cannot comment on the 18-270mm, other than super zooms can be a real compromise, but the 70-300mm Di VC is an excellent lens. It's one of the best deals you can get considering the price, quality and 7yr warranty.

Good luck

duplicate....

Well, I stopped by a local camera shop that is literally 1 minute from my work. I handled both. Boy the 70-300 is big!!!

Today I brought my camera with me and will stop back at the store. May try them on for size.

Oh, decisions, decisions!!!

vote for the 70- 300

55-250 is fairly small and light.

Considering you already have the 18-135, this is really a no contest. The 70-300 is going to be faster and better IQ from 70-270 and then it adds that last 30mm for free. If all you are going to use it for is when you need reach, my vote goes to the 70-300.