The Tamron 18-270mm VC ultra zoom for APS-C format DSLRs has reached an exceptional level of compactness, performance, and speed. This lens incorporates the addition of a PZD (Piezo Drive), an ultrasonic autofocus motor based on a piezoelectric design. The result is a lens that's considerably light, and noticeably shorter and slimmer (filter diameter only 62mm) than many previous lenses in its class, and provides fast, quiet auto-focusing. Signature features that have made this versatile lens the world standard in its class have been retained. They include a 28-419mm equivalent (15X) zoom range, an improved, lightweight, compact Vibration Compensation (VC) system, macro focusing to 0.49m (19.3 inches) throughout, and, of course, superlative imaging performance.
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PZD Drive
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The benefit of Vibration Compensation
Piezo Drive (PZD) Ultrasonic Autofocus Motors are divided into two categories depending on the principle that generates the energy to move the drive: travelling wave motors and standing wave motors. Travelling wave motors include the ring type ultrasonic motor used in the 70-300mm F/4-5.6 VC USD as well as other lenses, but this lens employs another technology, the PZD (Piezo Drive), which functions on the standing wave principle. A standing wave ultrasonic motor utilises high-frequency voltage to extend and turn the piezoelectric (piezoceramic) element, thus moving the entire element in a standing wave movement. The metal tip is the contact point of the element to the rotor, and moves in an elliptic motion from the swivelling motion of the moving element, and the friction from this motion turns the rotor. Standing wave ultrasonic motors have the distinct advantage of being smaller than their travelling wave counterparts, and therefore allow a more compact SLR lens size.
Vibration Compensation (VC) Shake can ruin your photos, particularly when taking telephoto shots or shooting in low light conditions. Simply flip the VC switch on and you'll notice the difference immediately. VC delivers blur free handheld images for incredible results. VC mechanism employs a three-coil system. The lens element compensates for vibration using 3-steel balls (making movement quiet and smooth), for exceptional images at slower shutter speeds. This reduces the need for a tripod, brings out contrast to motion and stillness, and eliminates the need to shoot with a flash.
Another original Tamron mechanical engineering concept is the Zoom Lock (ZL), a simple convenience feature that prevents undesired extension of the lens barrel when carrying the camera/lens unit on a neck strap.
The Tamron 18-270mm lens highlights the ultimate in image quality with Aspherical Lens Elements(ASL). These optics allow Tamron to achieve exceptionally high image quality, and at the same time produce lenses that offer remarkable zoom ranges in compact packages. Tamron has virtually eliminated spherical aberration and image distortion from the high-power-zoom series. Through the effective application of Hybrid Aspherical Technology, one lens element can take the place of multiple elements without compromising performance. This is what allows Tamron to produce compact, long-range lenses that deliver a uniformly high level of image quality at all focal lengths and apertures.
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Powerful 15x Zoom
This lens covers an extremely broad range of focal lengths, from an extra-wide 18mm length to a telephoto 270mm length (the 35mm equivalent of 28mm to 419mm). The resulting 15x zoom ratio is exeptionally large, representing a wide cross section of Tamron high-power zoom design technologies. Plus, the vibration compensation works throughout the entire zoom range, giving you the freedom to create a wide variety of images. The lens lets users capture once-in-a-lifetime panoramic landscape images or close-up pictures of children smiling, all without getting too close to the subject or changing lenses. Other details include a macro magnification range of 1:3.5, a minimum focusing distance of 19.3 inches, and a 72mm filter diameter. The lens measures 3.1 inches in diameter and 3.9 inches long.
- Extremely fast Piezo drive focusing motor
- Vibration Compensation for ultra sharp images
- Compact design
- long zoom range for versatility
- Designed for APS-C sized sensors
