Thanks for your review. I'm new to the game and bought the Nikon D3500 several months ago. It came with the same two kit lenses: 18-55 and 70-300 (non VR). I also bought the 35mm 1.8 prime. I wanted something with a little more reach AND stability. I saw good reviews on this 18-400 so I ordered one. I'm waiting on delivery (should be in a few days), and while reading more reviews, I saw a number of them that weren't very flattering. So, disappointment set in. After watching your review this AM, I feel like I made the right decision. Thank you so much.
So, as you have probably seen, your sharpest lens is the 35mm, I also have this and am very happy with it. This is partly to do with the fact that the lens is fixed and so can be 'tuned' to a specific focal length. As soon as you make a lens with differing focal lengths, there will be compromises somewhere. Based on cost vs versatility, I am still extremely happy with my Tamron, but it is fair to say that it is not as sharp as a £2,000 400mm lens. Let me know how you get on with it, but I suspect you won't be disappointed.
I have a Nikon D3500 and have been using the Nikkor lenses that came with it. I ordered and got the Tamron 18-400 a few weeks ago. I don't know if I haven't gotten used to it yet, or it's not really good? It jumps when I zoom in and focus. So it isn't giving me sharp photos especially with birds on my hikes.
Thank yo so much... excelente description.... at this moment we didnt need a lot of quality and megapixeles, because internet and social media no needed. Inclusive if you have to take picture with models to brochure in studio you fixed quality, focus, color, a lot things with a very good lighting as Elinchrom softboxex or whatever , etc. Thank you again. Pablo fron Caracas, Venezuela
I highly recommend using a UV filter. The UV aspect is pretty much useless in digital camera images. Film is another story. In either situation, the UV filter can help protect your front lens from accidents. If you get a scratch on the filter, toss it and get a new one. On the other hand, if you scratch the lens element you'll be breaking out the crying towel.
Hi Bill. I am about to pull the trigger on one of these lenses, and super excited. Can you elaborate a little on how you tidy up 18mm distortion in LR? (I am quite new to it, any tips would be much appreciated)
Question if you're reading: I got the 18-400 Tamron, used/rental. When I snap a photo, the picture area through the viewfinder jumps a little bit. Is this normal?
Hi. I have just tried on my Nikon Z50 with FTZ (VC and AF on) to check. Mine doesn't jump. Have you tried it with the various positions on the VC and AF switches to see if the result is the same?
I’m having difficulty of focusing with this lens? Im using eos m50 ii with viltrox adapter. It always trying to focus something and also auto focusing 400mm is really hard. Any suggestions against this issue?
I owned this lens. I won it in a photography contest. I was overjoyed to get a 700 dollar lens for free. I used it perhaps 10 times in the first 3 months, it had satisfactory performance. After 3 months, the lens became stiff in the mid range of extension 150-250 mm. I just lived with it, since i got it for free. Over the next 18 months, it became more and more stiff, and I continued to live with this condition. About 3 months ago, it froze completely and became unusable. I had been told that tamron has a 6 year warranty, so i checked into it. They OK'd the return, so i boxed it up nicely, then sent it via FedEx, with insurance for 1000 dollars. A few days later, i received an email from Tamron, saying that repairs would be 400 dollars. I want to point out that this lens had absolutely no physical damage: no dents, no scratches, no broken glass, in other words, on the exterior, it appeared as brand new. I have photos to prove it. Tamron tried to tell me that the lens was physically damaged, so they would not honor the warranty, as it was my fault. They had no response when I asked, why, if I damaged it, did this condition progress in a gradual fashion over the period of one year?? They told me they have the finest warranty in the photography professional business, 6 years. I told them that their very fine warranty is worthless if they don't honor it. So, to make a long story short: TAMRON DOES NOT HONOR THEIR WARRANTY, at least in my case. I have told them that I will report this story to everyone in my photography community.
I bought a Nikon D5600 and then the 18-400 Tamron lens for travelling I am certainly not a pro. if you have some tips and tricks with this equipment that might help me get better photos that would be great as a possible vlog?
An ND filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens. You can get filters of differing strengths which reduce the light by differing amounts. This means that you can do long exposure shots even in daylight. One of the classic shots is to do a long exposure of waves or a waterfall. The long exposure creates a sort of ghosting / blurring effect of the water making for some very eye catching images.
I don't know for sure but as long as the converter has the correct physical connection and the appropriates electrical connections I can't see why not. That would be one amazing magnification at 4 x 600 (400) = 2,400mm !!!
So, I have a heart and head debate gong on at the moment. You are so right that you don't need all these lenses, there is so much overlap. 1st off, I have started using the 5600 for videoing and so i should sell the 70-300 Dx. I'll keep the 18-55 for filming. I also have a 35mm prime which I will keep. As for the Z50, I haven't decided yet, but I suspect I will sell the 20-250 eventually, but both of the Z Dx's are so light weight compared to the Tamron, I might find a practical reason to keep them. That's not really helped has it ;)
Sir plz help me tell me which lens is better image quality canon 18-135mm or tamron 18-400mm forget about focal range I just want to know which lens is better image quality plz plz plz reply
For sharpness at long distance, do you think images are better with the 70-300mm, or the 18-400mm? The latter obviously has more reach, but I wonder if the 300mm is sharper and thus cropping it is better than the 400mm. Also, isn't it best at f/8-f/11?
Well, that is an interesting question. In my experience, I have some really good and sharp images out of both. Personally, in real world, I think at 300 or 400, the sharpness has more to do with getting a good focus point and holding the camera steady and speed of shot. The benefit and problem with the super good stability systems is that it is so easy to hand hold, point and shoot at lowish speed and get an O.K. photo. Then we moan that it is not pin sharp! Anyhow, now that you have asked the question, I'll get my 70-300 out and experiment.
Typos: 'amateur', 'bought'. Is it really better at 400mm than a crop of the Nikkor at 300mm? Or better than the Nikkor 18-300mm. True, multiple lenses are a pain.
This could be the lens. I am collecting vintage lenses for really no reason. I guess I cought up by all the y tubers. I will keep my 50 mm F 1.8 and sell all the others. Together with my cannon 5 D this will be an heavy setup
You will need a f mount converter and it is only a crop lens on a full frame. You may need to upgrade the firmware on the lens. I woukd suggest that you visit the tamron site and check firmware compatibility and then take your equipment to a shop and try it. Let me know how you get on.
This lens is f mount and so will physically fit. The 850 seems to have a 19 mp crop mode so that is good. However I don't know if the lens firmware is compatible. Price aside, I would suggest a ff lens with a ff camera though.
I purchased this for a Nikon D5600 which has an F mount. I now also have a Z50 which has a Z mount. I attach the lens with an F to Z adaptor and it works very well but note that both cameras are crop. In your case you will need an adaptor but you will have to use the lens in Crop mode reducing the resolution much lower, probably about 12MP.
just bought this lens and anxious to start using it. have watched tons of videos and this is best by far thanks for your time
My advice is just start using it. Play with it, test it and enjoy your pictures :)
Excellent review. Awesome! You've convinced me so I'm buying one TOMORROW.
Thanks for your review. I'm new to the game and bought the Nikon D3500 several months ago. It came with the same two kit lenses: 18-55 and 70-300 (non VR). I also bought the 35mm 1.8 prime. I wanted something with a little more reach AND stability. I saw good reviews on this 18-400 so I ordered one. I'm waiting on delivery (should be in a few days), and while reading more reviews, I saw a number of them that weren't very flattering. So, disappointment set in. After watching your review this AM, I feel like I made the right decision. Thank you so much.
So, as you have probably seen, your sharpest lens is the 35mm, I also have this and am very happy with it. This is partly to do with the fact that the lens is fixed and so can be 'tuned' to a specific focal length. As soon as you make a lens with differing focal lengths, there will be compromises somewhere. Based on cost vs versatility, I am still extremely happy with my Tamron, but it is fair to say that it is not as sharp as a £2,000 400mm lens. Let me know how you get on with it, but I suspect you won't be disappointed.
I have a Nikon D3500 and have been using the Nikkor lenses that came with it. I ordered and got the Tamron 18-400 a few weeks ago. I don't know if I haven't gotten used to it yet, or it's not really good? It jumps when I zoom in and focus. So it isn't giving me sharp photos especially with birds on my hikes.
How did this turn out for you in the end?
Thank yo so much... excelente description.... at this moment we didnt need a lot of quality and megapixeles, because internet and social media no needed. Inclusive if you have to take picture with models to brochure in studio you fixed quality, focus, color, a lot things with a very good lighting as Elinchrom softboxex or whatever , etc. Thank you again. Pablo fron Caracas, Venezuela
A very good video. Thank you for sharing information about the Tamon 18-400.
Like you said, this one + a few prime lenses is all one needs!
Thank you for the in-depth review. I am considering this lens to buy and use for plane spotting.
I have used it for both aircraft in flight and on the ground, works well.
@@PhotographyEnthusiast Thank you, great to know. This helps me a lot!
Bought it 1 month ago. so far so good. really 1 lense for all
The tamron and Nikkor 35 are the only two I use now
I highly recommend using a UV filter. The UV aspect is pretty much useless in digital camera images. Film is another story. In either situation, the UV filter can help protect your front lens from accidents. If you get a scratch on the filter, toss it and get a new one. On the other hand, if you scratch the lens element you'll be breaking out the crying towel.
Got mine it works well some distortion at 18mm but easy tidied up in Lightroom
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have
Hi Bill. I am about to pull the trigger on one of these lenses, and super excited. Can you elaborate a little on how you tidy up 18mm distortion in LR? (I am quite new to it, any tips would be much appreciated)
Question if you're reading: I got the 18-400 Tamron, used/rental. When I snap a photo, the picture area through the viewfinder jumps a little bit. Is this normal?
Hi. I have just tried on my Nikon Z50 with FTZ (VC and AF on) to check. Mine doesn't jump. Have you tried it with the various positions on the VC and AF switches to see if the result is the same?
I’m having difficulty of focusing with this lens? Im using eos m50 ii with viltrox adapter. It always trying to focus something and also auto focusing 400mm is really hard. Any suggestions against this issue?
It could be a viltrox adapter incompatibility. Try manual focusing to see if that gets a good and sharp image.
Got this lens. I have problems with 60% of my photos is not sharp.
It could be you speed is too slow. Use 2xzoom. I. E. At 200mm, 1/400th sec.
I owned this lens. I won it in a photography contest. I was overjoyed to get a 700 dollar lens for free. I used it perhaps 10 times in the first 3 months, it had satisfactory performance. After 3 months, the lens became stiff in the mid range of extension 150-250 mm. I just lived with it, since i got it for free. Over the next 18 months, it became more and more stiff, and I continued to live with this condition. About 3 months ago, it froze completely and became unusable. I had been told that tamron has a 6 year warranty, so i checked into it. They OK'd the return, so i boxed it up nicely, then sent it via FedEx, with insurance for 1000 dollars. A few days later, i received an email from Tamron, saying that repairs would be 400 dollars. I want to point out that this lens had absolutely no physical damage: no dents, no scratches, no broken glass, in other words, on the exterior, it appeared as brand new. I have photos to prove it. Tamron tried to tell me that the lens was physically damaged, so they would not honor the warranty, as it was my fault. They had no response when I asked, why, if I damaged it, did this condition progress in a gradual fashion over the period of one year?? They told me they have the finest warranty in the photography professional business, 6 years. I told them that their very fine warranty is worthless if they don't honor it. So, to make a long story short: TAMRON DOES NOT HONOR THEIR WARRANTY, at least in my case. I have told them that I will report this story to everyone in my photography community.
I bought a Nikon D5600 and then the 18-400 Tamron lens for travelling I am certainly not a pro. if you have some tips and tricks with this equipment that might help me get better photos that would be great as a possible vlog?
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can get some content together.
Hi ,you are talking about a nd filter for water or rivierschots ? What does that filter do ?
An ND filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens. You can get filters of differing strengths which reduce the light by differing amounts. This means that you can do long exposure shots even in daylight. One of the classic shots is to do a long exposure of waves or a waterfall. The long exposure creates a sort of ghosting / blurring effect of the water making for some very eye catching images.
i have a canon 80d with the 18-400 tamron lens can you tell me if i can fit a 1x4 canon converter to this set up
I don't know for sure but as long as the converter has the correct physical connection and the appropriates electrical connections I can't see why not. That would be one amazing magnification at 4 x 600 (400) = 2,400mm !!!
@@PhotographyEnthusiast ok thanks for the reply by the way i ejnoyed you video on same item bill
Did you sell your other lenses? I'm unsure if I want too 🤔 but like you said the 2 lenses you don't need as the 18-400mm does it all 🤔
So, I have a heart and head debate gong on at the moment. You are so right that you don't need all these lenses, there is so much overlap.
1st off, I have started using the 5600 for videoing and so i should sell the 70-300 Dx. I'll keep the 18-55 for filming. I also have a 35mm prime which I will keep.
As for the Z50, I haven't decided yet, but I suspect I will sell the 20-250 eventually, but both of the Z Dx's are so light weight compared to the Tamron, I might find a practical reason to keep them.
That's not really helped has it ;)
Sir plz help me tell me which lens is better image quality canon 18-135mm or tamron 18-400mm forget about focal range I just want to know which lens is better image quality plz plz plz reply
Hi Nitin. I don't have any experience with the Canon lens and so I can't offer a reliable comparison.
Nice review thank you. This is a lens I am currently considering purchasing. you in bucks? photos were a clue.
Surrey. Not that far from Bucks
@@PhotographyEnthusiast I purchased the Tamron 18-400 :) very happy with results I get using it.
where did you buy yours from?
For sharpness at long distance, do you think images are better with the 70-300mm, or the 18-400mm? The latter obviously has more reach, but I wonder if the 300mm is sharper and thus cropping it is better than the 400mm. Also, isn't it best at f/8-f/11?
Well, that is an interesting question. In my experience, I have some really good and sharp images out of both. Personally, in real world, I think at 300 or 400, the sharpness has more to do with getting a good focus point and holding the camera steady and speed of shot. The benefit and problem with the super good stability systems is that it is so easy to hand hold, point and shoot at lowish speed and get an O.K. photo. Then we moan that it is not pin sharp!
Anyhow, now that you have asked the question, I'll get my 70-300 out and experiment.
@@PhotographyEnthusiast great! Look forward to your results.
@@PhotographyEnthusiast any luck comparing the 2?
Typos: 'amateur', 'bought'. Is it really better at 400mm than a crop of the Nikkor at 300mm? Or better than the Nikkor 18-300mm. True, multiple lenses are a pain.
Oops!, Thanks for the spot, corrected.
@@PhotographyEnthusiast Not yet fixed 'brought'!
I think I have got it now ;) Maybe I need a video reviewer :) Thanks
This could be the lens. I am collecting vintage lenses for really no reason. I guess I cought up by all the y tubers. I will keep my 50 mm F 1.8 and sell all the others. Together with my cannon 5 D this will be an heavy setup
1.5x for Nikon Crop-Sensor bodies
Thanks for the information. Learning all the time.
Hi, the 18-400 tamron is it possible for a7iii? Thanks
You will need a f mount converter and it is only a crop lens on a full frame. You may need to upgrade the firmware on the lens. I woukd suggest that you visit the tamron site and check firmware compatibility and then take your equipment to a shop and try it. Let me know how you get on.
Get the canon version and the sigma mc11 adapter
Compatible with nikon d850????
This lens is f mount and so will physically fit. The 850 seems to have a 19 mp crop mode so that is good. However I don't know if the lens firmware is compatible. Price aside, I would suggest a ff lens with a ff camera though.
Can i use it with Canon RP
I purchased this for a Nikon D5600 which has an F mount. I now also have a Z50 which has a Z mount. I attach the lens with an F to Z adaptor and it works very well but note that both cameras are crop.
In your case you will need an adaptor but you will have to use the lens in Crop mode reducing the resolution much lower, probably about 12MP.
@@PhotographyEnthusiast thank for your help
Hi You said they sell them on Amazon for around 500 and you paid much less where did you get it from? Kind regards
www.eglobalcentraluk.com/index.php?dispatch=auth.login_form&return_url=index.php%3Fdispatch%3Dorders.search#/product/21407
@@PhotographyEnthusiast No more. See Tecobuy.
How much you pay for that lens I’m after one for Nikon
About 400
I will get one soon, just not been out with the cameras lately due to work commitments
@@billrankin if you can wait for a few weeks, there may be some good black Friday deals
Photography Enthusiast didn’t think of that will do thanks 👍
x1.5 (not 1.6)
Yes, my mistake.
Nikon CROP FACTOR is 1.5, not 1.6 !
Thanks for the feedback . I only spotted this after the video release 😔
pronounced: N-EYE kon.
I call it N-EYE kon also, but, cant argue with the other way which is how the kana characters would be pronounced in Japanese