If you’re looking for a single, do-it-all, versatile lens to keep stuck on the front of your dSLR, then the award winning Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens is most certainly worth a closer look.
Packing a hefty 18-270mm focal zoom range and a F/3.5-6.3 aperture range, it’s just bagged itself the Lens of the Year award at the Camera GP 2011 Awards, hosted by the Camera Journal Press Club of Japan.
Billed as the world’s smallest and lightest 15x zoom lens, the Tamron is powered by an ultrasonic Piezo AF motor and comes with built-in vibration compensation.
The RRP is a cool £599, but with a bit of shopping around, you can get much cheaper rates.
At the time of writing, here’s the temptingly hot deals we found on Amazon:
Tech stuff:
Groups-Elements: 13-16
Angle of view: 75-6
Optical Construction: Rotation
Diaphragm Blades: 7
Minimum Aperture: 22-40
Minimum Object Distance [m]: 0.49
Maximum Magnification Ratio: 1:3,8
Filter size [mm]: 62
Weight [g]: 450
Diameter x Length [mm]: 74.4 x 96.4
Maximum Aperture: 3.5-6.3
Focal Length [mm]: 18-270
Press release:
TAMRON 18-270MM DI II VC PZD 15X ALL-IN-ONE ZOOM LENS WINS THE FIRST CAMERA GP 2011 LENS OF THE YEAR
Tamron’s 60th Anniversary Model Is The World’s Smallest And Lightest1 15x Zoom Lens For Digital SLR Cameras (APS-C Size)
May 19, 2011, Commack, NY — Optical equipment manufacturer Tamron Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Saitama City, Japan / President and CEO: Morio Ono) that is celebrating its 60th anniversary last year has won the first Camera GP 2011 Lens of The Year held by the Camera Journal Press Club (Japan). That award was won for Tamron’s 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD*2 (Model B008), the world’s smallest and lightest 15x zoom lens.
The following highly acclaimed aspects are the reasons for selection as Lens of the Year. The lens incorporates the new Piezo Drive (PZD) autofocus drive system2. It has a more compact and light optical system, even while achieving high image quality. It is equipped with a vibration compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism that is even more compact than before. And it is a lens symbolizing Tamron as a pioneer in all-in-one zoom lenses that is always striving for more.
Reason for Winning The Camera GP Award (excerpts)
Achieves compactness and light weight for excellent portability at 3.5” long and 15.9 oz., even though it is a 15x all-in-one zoom lens.
Equipped with Tamron’s first Piezo Drive (PZD) standing wave ultrasonic motor system with excellent quietness and quick focusing.
Improved optical performance by employing features such as high refractive index aspherical lenses and low dispersion glass that compensate well for various kinds of aberration
Has a 13 group 16 element construction with two fewer lenses than previous models for compactness and lightness.
Equipped with the new vibration compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism that achieves up to approximately four-stop compensation effect converted to shutter speed.
Made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Tamron’s founding.
About The Camera GP Award
The Camera GP, held since 1984, is an extremely prestigious award where winners are selected through an open vote by a panel made up of Camera Journal Press Club members, top editorial staff of the member publications, academic experts, camera technical writers, professional photographers, and TIPA as a special member of CJPC. Lens of The Year added this year to Camera GP2011 was given to the best lens out of those released in Japan from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 as selected by a 57-member panel.
