The elephant in the room with this lens is that odd 180mm on the tele end. So I’ll address that first and then move on to why this is a great lens.

The elephant in the room with this lens is that odd 180mm on the tele end. So I’ll address that first and then move on to why this is a great lens.

Tamron is a quirky lens company who often make lenses that are just a little bit different to the competitors. Here, they’ve taken 20mm off the long end of the lens, but by doing so they’re able to make this lens much smaller, lighter, and cheaper than its competitors. 

I personally was sceptical that it would perform well, as you often get what you pay for when it comes to equipment. But I was pleasantly surprised with this lens. Not only do you not notice the 20mm difference, but you’re neither sacrificing on quality nor is there any noticeable defects with the lens optically or in its construction. 

The only downside to using this lens over another is that is isn’t weather sealed, which for some people could definitely be a deal breaker. It does have a certain amount of dust and moisture resistance, so it could probably handle a splash of rain, but you wouldn’t want to be shooting monsoon season with this lens.

That said, what this lens lacks in sealing it makes up for in optical quality. I found the bokeh to be smooth and beautiful, the colours were clear, deep and vibrant, and the sharpness was bang on, even at 2.8 on the long end. 

The hidden secret with this lens is that it has a really close 27cm minimum focussing distance when the lens is set to manual focus. Of course, it can be difficult to nail your focus on manual mode, so be sure to have your tripod ready, but it means this lens has the potential for some tasty macro shots. 

Using this lens was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed capturing the park area and taking in the colours of the autumn leaves. The canal has access to lots of wildlife, and I was happy with everything I shot, even at 180 instead of 200. Once you overcome the mental block of using a lens that isn’t like the others, you can start to appreciate the unique qualities of the Tamron. 

At the end of the day, a lens is more than just how many millimetres it can give you. I really liked this lens, it’s built well, handles well, and produces beautiful images. The only downside for me is the weather sealing, but if you’re worried you’re missing out because it’s slightly shorter than its competitors, don’t fret. You soon get used to it, and with the advantage gained in size, weight and price you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.