Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III VC Field Test Report:

How good is Tamron's first lens for Sony NEX cameras?

Article & Images by Jason Schneider

The Tamron 18-200mm Di III VC is available in gorgeous silver or black barrel finish that visually complements any NEX model making an easy handling, very attractive package. Even more important, this compact (less than 4-inch long at 18mm, 2.7-inch-wide) lens is relatively light (16.2 ounces) and balances extremely well on any of the current or previous NEX cameras, forming a seamlessly integrated, supremely functional unit. The 1.25-inch-wide textured rubberized zoom ring is easy to grasp securely and is perfectly positioned toward the front of the barrel. It turns with commendable smoothness over its entire range, and has a very well damped action. The finer-textured 1/2-inch-wide manual focus ring operates with equal finesse and precision. It's placed about 3/4 an inch forward of the lens mount, allowing for easy manipulation on all NEX models, even when top-mounted accessories are used. There's also a sliding-tab lock that lets you lock the barrel at the most compact 18mm zoom setting when not in use, but zoom creep is not a problem with this lens. When mounted on the camera, the 18-200 Di III VC extends 3-3/4 inches from the camera mount at 18mm and nearly 6-3/4 inches at the 200mm setting, but it retains its excellent balance at all focal lengths.

Shooting with a Sony NEX using a wide-to-long-telephoto having an 11.1X zoom ratio brings to the fore the full potential of these cameras, and it provides other practical plusses besides enhanced optical flexibility. It focuses down to 1.5 feet (45cm) over the entire zoom range using an innovative mechanical configuration, yielding a maximum macro magnification ratio of 1:3.7-great for frame-filling head shots and impressive close-ups, especially at the longer focal lengths. Its 7-bladed diaphragm provides a nearly circular aperture that contributes to surprisingly good bokeh at wide apertures, and unlike many long-range zooms, this lens renders smooth, natural looking transitions from the point of precise focus to out-of-focus (background or foreground) areas of the image. Its built-in 3-coil VC image stabilization system uses the latest moving coil design that reduces the weight of the components to enhance its speed and responsiveness, and also incorporates software improvements to make it even quieter. In terms of smoothness and silence, we found it to be the best iteration of VC to date, and it provides up to a 4-stop advantage in minimizing blur due to handheld camera shake-especially important when shooting at long focal lengths, in the macro range, or under dim lighting conditions.

To say that we were impressed with the overall field performance of the Tamron 18-200mm Di III VC is an understatement. This advanced design 17-element, 13-group lens delivers outstanding image quality over the entire focal length range, with excellent sharpness and crisp detail at all apertures, even wide open. Purple color fringing at light-colored edge details is barely noticeable, an indication of excellent correction for chromatic aberrations, and flare is extremely well controlled even in severely backlit conditions. At its optimum aperture of f/8 its performance is superb, and there is no observable loss of sharpness or detail at the 200mm maximum telephoto setting, a common deficiency in long-range zooms. The VC (Vibration Compensation) system also works extremely well; it allowed us to capture crisp handheld pictures in the mid-telephoto range at 1/13 sec and even slower. The moderate maximum aperture of f/6.3 at the 200mm setting is not ideal for low-light shooting without using flash or a tripod, but with the excellent performance of Sony NEX cameras at high ISO settings in the 1600-3200 range this should seldom pose any problems. At the other end of the aperture scale, the lens stops down to f/22 at 18mm and f/40 at the 200mm setting, which can be very useful when shooting in very bright light or when you want to capture an extended depth-of-field range. The laws of physics dictate that there will always be a slight loss of resolution at the smallest apertures, but based on our test results, you will hardly notice it unless you make giant-sized enlargements.

Our verdict: This is a strikingly beautiful, superbly made lens that provides first class optical performance and excellent handling characteristics. It is sure to delight a broad spectrum of NEX users, particularly those discriminating shooters who require an all-in-one lens for travel, adventure, or all-around shooting. If the oohs and aahs we were regaled with by knowledgeable shooters encountered in our travels are any indication, it will also make your fashionably slim Sony NEX look even cooler than it already is. At a street price of $739, it's not the least expensive lens you can buy for your Sony NEX, but it will bring your system to an entirely new level, and in terms of quality, panache, and value, you may rest assured you'll get what you paid for.