The Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC PZD offers an eye-watering focal range that translates to a huge 15x optical zoom

ePHOTOzine lens expert, Gary Wolstenholme casts his keen eye over the 15x Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC LD Aspherical (IF).

Zoom range; Price; Vibration Compensation feature; Light weight

Slow maximum aperture; Needs to be used at mid-apertures for best quality

First introduced on December 9, 2010, the is 15x zoom lens for Canon and Nikon mounts (Sony coming soon) that offers photographers massive focal length versatility in the "most compact" form factor currently available.

The Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is a compact and lightweight superzoom that manages to fit a huge zoom range into a compact, lightweight package. Throw in its quiet PZD autofocus and optical image stabilization, and it's a very versatile little lens that's well worth considering if you're...

Very useful 15x zoom range; Good image quality at wideangle; Quiet autofocus; Reasonably effective image stabilization; Compact and lightweight

Rather soft at telephoto; especially wide open; Strong distortion across most of the range; Chromatic aberration at each end of the zoom (most pronounced at telephoto; Slower autofocus than its peers

Cons Bottom Line Pick This Up If...

Very well built; Comfortable controls; Capable VC system; Very quiet and fast AF and VC; Incredibly compact; Amazing 15x optical zoom range

Images are soft throughout the zoom range at all aperture settings; Small amount of visible CA; Zoom ring is stiff but smooth

With the broadest zoom range (15X) of any interchangeable lens for DSLRs, this 28-419mm equivalent superzoom ($600, street) also packs a Vibration Compensation system for sharp handheld shooting at long focal lengths or slow shutter speeds.

The Tamron 18-270mm is an excellent all-round lens, capable of being used for landscape, wildlife, portraits and even close-up shots. It's a great lens for the enthusiast photographer and boasts a full set of features including stabiliser, ultrasonic focus and good quality optics.

in all camera mounts it supports including Canon's APS-C mount. The 15x focal length range is, without a doubt,

Tamron has always been a pioneer in the do-everything zoom lens category and their new AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens is no exception. Don't be intimidated by those initials-it's all good stuff-and I'll get to them shortly.

The type of user that the Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is aimed at will be perfectly happy with the performance of it. Picture quality is overall very good and we got some lovely sharp results from it.