Quite versitile, with a very wide focal range. On an APS-c 1.6 crop camera, this 18-270mm lens has a range of 28mm to 432mm !

A built in lock button to prevent 'barrel creep' when the lens is transported on the camera, or when the camera is slung over the shoulder.

Built-in image vibration control, VC, which substantially reduces or eliminates any camera shake when shooting images

A huge 6 year manufacturer warranty.

Slightly larger and heavier, than most regular 'kit' lenses, this lens will add additional bulk to your DSLR camera.

AF will do a lot of hunting and searching in low light conditions, so you may have to switch to manual focus to achieve satisfactory results.

The 15X zoom adjustment is not 'smooth' through the entire zoom range, and barrel creep does exist on some copies, when shooting in a raised or lowered position.

I bought this lens to use on a recent upgrade to a T2i body. It is used primarily as a walkabout, all purpose lens that eliminates the need to change lenses. I had borrowed my brother-in-law's lens this summer, and was quite satisfied with the results obtained on a 'try it', before you 'buy it', loan.
There are always better lenses available, if your pockets are deep enough, and while thisTamron lens is not absolutely 100% perfect, it will achieve comparable, satisfactory results to similar lenses, for a very reasonable cost.
It is somewhat heavier than the 2 Canon 'kit' lenses it replaced, with a large 72mm filter size, and took some getting use to, but just like anything new - the more you use it, the easier it is !

Customer Service

Not needed so far, but I have heard that a human voice will answer the phone, should a problem arise.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 55-250mm IS
Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm
Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm

Good range, covers everything from the moon to big groups. Seems ruggedly built. Generally sharp, I haven't seen anything really bad yet.

There is a stiff spot when zooming in and out, right in the middle of the range. First sample I bought didn't work properly. Lens creep exists, but there is a lock on it. Very slow, but expected for this range of lenses.

I got this lens to replace the 2-kit lenses, so I don't have to carry a bag. When I first bought it, the auto-focus did not seem to work. I called Tamron, and someone there suggested I should take the lens back and get a replacement. I did that at Samy's and this second lens focused just as well as the kit lens. Something was wrong with a batch perhaps, as I've heard other stories similar to mine on the interwebs.

This lens was great for the big family reunion we recently had. Living near LA, we also visit Disneyland and Universal Studios among other attractions, so this lens is very helpful as a do-it-all solution without having to carry multiple lenses.

It is not perfect by any means. I never zoom 100% to look at pixels, I only take pics to print small sizes or share with family. For that purpose this lens is fine. It is sharp enough if you don't pixel-peep. I use my 35mm 1.8 Nikon lens for my D60 75% of the time. The rest of the time, when I want to "pack light", I use this Tamron with an SB-400 and leave the camera bag at home.

Customer Service

A human being picked up when I called Tamron, she was helpful.