Then we noticed that while focusing, the image stabiliser would adjust the image slightly to lock the steadiness.

At least the ring is sufficiently far forward that its spinning doesn’t impair physical handling of the lens.for 300mm does not give a pleasing background bokeh, well, I think this has to depend on what genres you are shooting with. In terms of build, the Tamron is perhaps best described as functional, with its relatively lightweight plastic barrel. As for Tamron 18-300mm, if you are acceptable with it’s image quality, I think it should works fine with landscapes shots. The zoom control is a little uneven, and manual focus slightly loose, but neither has a huge impact on normal shooting.

This mechanical switch is common among all long barrel lenses, and I am glad that the Tamron engineers included it in this lens as well. Where I focused exclusively on other vacation lenses, Jim also took a look at how the 18-250mm stacked up against a Canon 18-55mm lens (the USM version of the common 18-55mm "kit" lens) at the short focal length side of its range, and against a 70-200mm Canon "L" lens at the longer end. All in all, a very close-fought race between the two lenses: I'd give the nod to the Tamron for sharpness, but the Sigma is close behind, and has better CA over much of its range. Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited. Toss the kit lens and start out with this one if you are an amateur and you will manage most situations.This isn’t the only improvement to the lens, though, as it is now 24% smaller than the old model, therefore taking up even less space in your travel bag. As this lens pushes 15x zoom, there is some noticeable distortion, especially at the edges (as expected), but it is well within the acceptable range for me. The image stabilization system works quite well too, although we've found it to be slightly less effective than its predecessor's, it's still good for letting you use shutter speeds a couple of stops slower than you'd otherwise be able to hand-hold without blur. While the official statement does not indicate the number of f-stops the lens can deliver, I tested and managed to get decently sharp photos at 1/14 sec at 300mm. This lens also gives a good focal length for a photographer who is exploring different kinds of genres without breaking his wallet.