Please comment briefly on your experience with high ratio zoom lenses, specifically above 3X.

Please comment briefly on your experience with high ratio zoom lenses, specifically above 3X.
a) I tend to be conservative and stick with shorter zoom ratios.
79% (308 votes)
b) My experience is that zoom quality is such these days that I am comfortable working with quite high focal length ratios.
9% (37 votes)
c) I like an “all-in-one” lens and believe that having one lens that covers all the focal length ranges I might use is the best
12% (45 votes)
Total votes: 390

COMMENTS
Tom O'Connell's picture

I use the Nikon 18-200 as a travel lens. It isn't the ultimate at every focal length, but it is quite good and you can leave a camera under the seat of your car that will then "get" most shots you come across... and it fits in a post 9-11 travel kit

Rick Fleming's picture

Zooms are fine in good light but indoors where I do most of my work fast primes are much sharper, Maybe it's just me ?

Ron Fraass's picture

Bought a 24-135 to cover my daughter's wedding. Great shots. Nikon 80-400 VR is fabulous. Still keep fixed and smaller ratio zooms for low light situations.

Ed Frazee's picture

My 12X Leica lens is the only lens that I need or want.

L.  MacIntosh's picture

I like my 17-85mm eos lens for a walk around lens and tend to stay to lens that !

Joe Coyle's picture

I've been using cameras with built-in shake reduction (Pentax) and been very successful using high focal length Tamron lenses (18-200 and 18-250). If the quality of this lens is the same, I can see no reason not to use it every day.

Brian's picture

I wouldn't touch that lens with a ten foot pole. There is too much distortion in their 18-200 let alone a 18-270. Get out of here, are you crazy? Yes, I know, you can fix it in Photoshop. I'm sorry, I'd rather spend my time shooting rather than editing. Heck, I still consider prime the maximum "zoom" for most of my work. Use a different lens or your feet to zoom. Only when I am shooting sports do I find a reason to use any sort of zoom - and I'm sure the 18-270 will have a lot of distortion on either side. It's just no worth it for the extra reach. Good for the people who don't care and don't even need a DSLR to begin with, but not good for people who care a lot about their shots.

Robert Bond's picture

Have used film cameras with 8:1 [28-200] for many years,and it is quite satisfactory for general non-critical use.

John Hicks's picture

I use an 18-200mm for vacation shooting. When I want the best quality I use shorter ratio zooms or fixed focal length.

Jan Klaasen's picture

I have the 18-250mm Tamron and it's an amazing lens for travelling.

Robert MacLeay's picture

Something which makes me much more comfortable with using cheaper zooms is lens-distortion-correction software.

eeleeljr's picture

I'm using Tamron's AF 28-300 f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD (IF) VC lens and find it to be a sharp all around zoom lens staying on my Canon 40D most of the time.

Chris Christian's picture

Any Zoom lens is some sort of a compromise. I believe that the professional level zooms, albiet expensive, are worth the expense given their capabilities and optical performance. The "all-in-one" lenses certaintly have their place, especially the well made (expensive) ones, but not for most critical work.

Ken Richmond's picture

I am currently shooting with a 18-250mm Pentax zoom on my K20d. I have had extremely good results. Due to its close focusing at .75m it is virtually a macro at 250mm.I am an amateur photographer.

Mark 's picture

We still use primes for all of our shooting. The only exception is family get-togethers where convenience outweighs image quality.

Boyd van der Laan's picture

I have used some of the high ratio zooms and been very unhappy with them. Too soft with distortion. They aren't there yet!

Bill's picture

I have recently purchased the Nikon 18-200mm vr and my never take it off the camera, except that I have two camera bodies and sometimes need it on both.

Jon Goulden's picture

I own the Canon 28-300mm to use when I can only bring one lens.

Pete's picture

My favorite lens is my Canon 35-350mm L, and the lens I use the most is my Canon 28-135mm IS. Both of these lens have a high zoom ratio and I utilize the entire range. For times when they are too slow I use a 70-200mm f2.8, and when I need a wider lens I pull out the 18-55mm. My next purchase will be a wide angle f2.8 zoom.

Edward's picture

I am very happy with the Nikon 18-200mm VR.

Rikki Meloche's picture

Buying fixed length lens can get expensive and heavy, I do wedding photography were I can't miss a shot because I have to keep changing lens.

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