Exclusive Review of the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD
In recent times Tamron has come to be known well for its zoom-telephoto lenses. For instance, there was a considerable amount of success that the Tamron 16-300mm enjoyed before the launch of its successor. TheTamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLDwas launched recently in India and is the company’s evolution from the 16-300mm F3.5/5.6.
The 16-300mm had a zoom ratio of 18.8x and with the launch of the new 18-400mm, Tamron has launched the ‘world’s first ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens that offers a 22.2x Zoom Ratio’. This means it offers the best of an Ultra-wide 18mm in a combined body with a 400mm telephoto option. The manufacturer has launched this at an extremely affordable price of Rs. 55,000 and aims to target any enthusiasts who are looking for one single lens to fulfil all their shooting needs.
The 18-400mm is an APSC lens which means it features a crop factor of 1.6x on a Canon mount and 1.5x on a Nikon mount. This means effectively it turns to a 29-640mm zoom lens on the Canon mount which we have used for the review. And for our readers who don’t follow what this means, then in simple words when you put this lens on a APSC body then it gets converted from a 400mm lens, which is its maximum range x 1.6 times on a Canon body giving us a farthest reach of 640mm. And a focal range of 620mm on a Nikon body with a 1.5x multiplication.
Look, Body and Feel
When it comes to the design, structure and the body of the lens then there are certain pluses and minus. For the sort of range that the lens provides it is housed in a very compact structure, and Tamron deserves much credit for the same. It seems pretty light as compared to the other telephoto zoom lenses in the same category and also the everything about the materials used in making the product screams tough, durable and rich.
It features a Design that houses 16 elements in 11 groups. The lens is divided into 3 structures in order to make it light and compact. The 3rdstructure houses the lens when its contracted and on extension the 2ndand the third housing is extended. But while Tamron has used this technology to make the lens compact it also acts as a small spoiler for the lens that we received for the review. The lens seems a little stiff when you are extending and using it in a real-world shooting scenario and this can pose a major challenge. I regularly found myself having this issue while zooming into the subject. But in time with the constant use of the same, it did tend to get slightly smoother in operation.
The lens is also weather sealed and comes with a ring lock in order to stop it from accidentally extending when not in use. A feature that many photographers/enthusiasts will surely appreciate.
Key Features
There are number of key features that the lens provides and they are below:
World’s first 22.2x Zoom ratio:
The lens is the world’s first lens to provide a zoom ratio of 22.2x with a max focal length of 400mm and beats the other options in the same category which includes popular manufacturers like Canon, Nikon and Sigma to name a few, all of whom have a 300mm lens in their portfolio.
Perspective flattening effect
Another feature that the lens provides is the Perspective flattening effect. Under this effect the background tends to draw closer and the effect appears stronger as the focal length gets longer. This makes the image look more dramatic, something similar to how the Portrait Mode on the new iPhones work. Now this isn’t different from any telephoto lens ideally, but this seems more pronounced with the Tamron lens.
HLD Motor
The 18-400mm also features the HLD (High/Low Torque Modulated Drive) motor developed by Tamron and is used for AF movement. With less mechanical contact compared to DC motor, both noise level and reliability are improved in HLD motor according to the manufacturer. The motor also has also enabled the company to minimise the size of the lens.
Performance:
In terms of the performance we checked the lens for the overall image quality, zoom ratio, chromatic aberration, distortion, flare and ghosting and bokeh among others.
We shot subjects at different focal lengths of 50mm, 200mm and 400mm and the performance of the lens in daylight conditions were very good. As seen in the sample images, the results are very sharp even on zooming in at 100% and there doesn’t seem to be much loss of detail. The lens produces well saturated colours and also doesn’t provide any issue while Focus Hunting.
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But as good as the lenses performance is in daytime, it seems to lag slightly in low-light conditions. There tends to be loss in details in the night time, but we can’t really hold this against Tamron since most lenses in such situations are almost the same.
Chromatic Abbreation:
In terms of Chromatic Aberration, we ran the images through a benchmarking software which gave us an output of 3.22 pixels, which is fairly average for the telephoto lenses in this category.
Distortion:
We checked the distortion by shooting images at both 18mm as well as 400mm. The images showcased a high amount of distortion. As seen in these images the building appears to be leaning instead in a straight line which means it has a high amount of distortion.
Anti-Flare and Anti-Ghosting:
We pointed the lens to a light source to check its performance in this department and the lens performed well in this department displaying very minimal flare and ghosting. Most lens in such categories display a high amount of flare and ghosting.
Quality of Bokeh:
The quality of bokeh in the lens is pretty good and the reason why this is an important point is because when you are using a longer focal length and clicking subjects a good quality bokeh gives you a well-rounded circle which makes the pictures really stand out.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are number of things that the new 18-400mm from Tamron has going for itself. It delivers excellent performance in day-light conditions with sharp and detailed images combined with a decent low-light performance. The images are well saturated with the lens focusing really fast and the quality of bokehs are good.
But while it has some great things about itself there are also certain cautions when it comes to buying this lens. It has an average level of Chromatic Aberration but a high-level of distortion. And we would’ve liked that zoom ring to be a lot smoother.
So this brings us to the question whether you should by this lens or not? This ideally boils down to the what you are planning to use this lens for. If you are looking for an all-in-one lens that is a decent performer, then this is the perfect lens for you.
But if you are looking for a lens which delivers professional level performance then this might not be the lens for you. But if you are looking for that level of performance then be ready to shell out lenses which might cost nearly 2-3 times the Tamron 18-400mm.
Images and Text:
Bhavya Desai
Launched recently in the optical zoom range market, the P900 has an 83x ratio equating to 24-2000mmin 35mm terms. Nikon claims this allows you to see things not visible to the human eye – such as details on the surface of the moon. There’s also a digital zoom, which boosts that reach to 166x, or 4000mm. A major issue with long zooms is image blur at the longest end of the zoom range, as the effects of camera shake are exaggerated. Nikon’s solution is to include its latest Dual Detect Optical VR system, which it claims offers a 5-stop shutter speed advantage. We thought that it would be a great idea to put these things to test and see how the P900 performed.
Look Body and Feel
The P900 like the other previous bridge models features the same 1/2.3-inch, 16million-pixel sensor. That’s the same size sensor as in many compact cameras – and, despite appearances, we feel that reason the P900 is classed as a compact camera is because of the lens being fixed and not the camera size. The P900 features a good quality plastic body. The camera has a large rubberised grip, with a large thumb grip on the rear of the camera as well. The left-hand side also features a rubber grip.
You can easily hold the camera with your hands thanks to the apt size and weight of the camera. The majority of options are available on the menu button; the camera body, like a DSLR, has less buttons on the body which makes it easy to hold and use.
You can set the exposure compensation, focus mode, self-timer and flash options with the scroll wheel on the back, or customise the Function (fn) button to give access to other options such as the ISO setting, or drive move. There is a snapback zoom button on the left of the lens barrel, and the side zoom control can be used to change the zoom, or can be set to manual focus. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a decent size, bigger than some other compact cameras, but not as large as those found on mirrorless cameras. The front of the lens has a 67mm filter thread, which makes it possible to attach filters, although unfortunately the camera doesn’t come with a lens hood, or shade, and there aren’t any options to buy one on the website itself. The interface menus are clearly laid out, with options spread over five main screens, including a shooting menu, movie options, Wi-Fi options, location data options, and setup options. The screen is not a touch-screen; however, it does have good viewing angles, and shows a good resolution with clear results.
Performance
When it comes to producing rich and vibrant colours straight from the camera; the P900 does not disappoint you. The standard setting that the camera provides is apt for most of the shooting conditions and the vivid option in the camera helps you boost saturation although, if it’s not used with care, it can lead to slightly cyan skies in landscapes for an example. The Monochrome mode in the camera works apt but as there’s no way to revert to a full colour image if you change your mind later since there’s no camera RAW option; you need to be sure you want a black and white image before using it. You can also change the look of your images more dramatically by using the Effects mode, where you’ll find filter effects such as Cross Process and High-Contrast monochrome amongst all. Images taken at the longest optical zoom display a good amount of detail, and for those occasions when you need even more reach, shots taken using the digital zoom are also usable at small prints – but the 83x optical zoom offers such a high magnification that you may never need the digital zoom because the optical zoom covers it all. The P900 also performs well at shorter focal lengths. At normal focal lengths the images are pretty sharp and vibrant in colours. If you zoom in on the higher focal length images you’ll realise that the images are soft on the edges. It’s also worth pointing out that it’s only at the very widest focal length can you use the maximum f/2.8 aperture setting: as soon as you zoom a little, the maximum available aperture decreases to 4-5.6.Not all the aspects of the P900’s operations are as fast – for instance, the playback can take a second or two to respond, leaving you wondering if it’s working at all. On the plus side, making your way through menus is generally quicksand intuitive.
Conclusion
Clearly the big selling point of the P900 is its 83x zoom. It’s currently the market leader in this respect, but how long it retains that distinction remains to be seen. The downside of having such a huge optical zoom is that the camera needs to be large. The P900 is pretty much the same size as a DSLR with a kit lens attached. Although it’s great to have the option full manual control, and a range of exposure modes, it seems a little remiss of Nikon to not include raw format shooting – it’s something which appeals to enthusiasts.
Look, body and feel rating – 3 1/2 *
If you’re after a camera with a huge zoom range you can’t get bigger than this, for now at least. Images taken in good light look great, with vibrant colours. Having the option of full manual control is also helpful.
Performance rating – 4 *
It could be a small audience, but those looking for an ultra-zoom bridge camera should find the P900 very capable, especially if they don’t mind only being able to shoot JPEGs. The P900 is inexpensive purchase, but the price is likely to come down, and it has the longest zoom range of any camera currently on the market.
Overall Rating – 4 *
It could be a small audience, but those looking for an ultra-zoom bridge camera should find the P900 very capable, especially if they don’t mind only being able to shoot JPEGs. The P900 is an expensive purchase, but the price is likely to come down, and it has the
Nikon D4
Nikon India recently launched their new flagship camera, the D4 in India. The latest entrant in the professional DSLR camera market, the D4 employs a newly developed Nikon FX format CMOS sensor with 16.2 million effective pixels and boasts of improved video capabilities and a compelling set of features compared to the existing models. Having turned to its professional user base to work out some of the improvements and changes, the new D4 features a few big changes and a host of small improvements compared to its predecessor apart from the more obvious increased megapixel and expanded ISO range.
Look Body and Feel
One look at the camera gives you a hint of what you could expect from this beast! Quite like the D3, the D4 is built tough and seems like it can handle a fair amount of abuse. There’s little change in terms of shape when compared to the D3 or the D3s. The D4 provides better control in both landscape and portrait orientations, making the overall feel a lot more comfortable to use. Some of the controls have been repositioned so as to provide faster access to the front dial and shutter release, making it more comfortable. The control and ergonomics are different with respect to both the D3 and the D3s. Both the joystick and the autofocus control are now easier to access when holding the camera vertically in the portrait orientation. These changes seem to have been made keeping in mind photojournalists and sports photographers making the camera faster and easier to use.
The addition of a record button to the top panel is just one of the changes made to the controls. You’d think the record button would start video recording just by clicking it but it doesn’t quite work that way. You still have to switch live view on first, a button for which is present on the rear panel of the camera, just below the 3.2” LCD. The record button is customisable. The button for switching through metering modes has replaced the command lock button, which has been done away with, just like the AE-L/AF-L button so as to better support using the camera in its vertical orientation. The protect button now also works as picture control when shooting. The rubberised lump on the rear panel below the microphone gives users better grip while using the camera in its vertical orientation. Backlit buttons are a welcome addition and hugely improve camera usability in low light scenarios.
Features
With the increasing demand for video footage from professional photographers, and with stiff competition in this realm, the improvements in terms of video capabilities don’t come as a surprise. Being able to see the audio levels on the rear display while recording video, a headphone jack for audio monitoring, improved audio fidelity are some of the small aspects that Nikon has taken care of with their latest offering.
The newly developed higher resolution 16.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor enables better low light photography thanks to an ISO sensitivity range from 100 to 12800 at normal settings, and expandable from ISO 50 to ISO 204800 equivalent.
The new 91000 pixel RGB sensor manages to achieve better autofocus, enabling the system to recognise human faces even while shooting with the optical viewfinder. It also plays a significant role in subject tracking, white balance and Active D-Lighting.
The D4 has dual memory card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD slot, Sony’s new memory card. While the new format might help improve speed, one concern is that it eliminates the possibility of using old CF cards as a second card for backup, and might also mean extra expenditure if you’re interested in purchasing the new card.
The D4 now allows users to vary Auto-ISO based on focal length, which is a welcome development, as earlier it lacked the ability to vary the shutter threshold based on focal length.
Conclusion
The launch of the Nikon D4 was highly anticipated, especially in the wake of the launch of Canon’s EOS-1D X. Featuring a few big changes and a host of small improvements in comparison with its predecessor, the Nikon D4 more than exceeded our expectations with its performance in the mid ISO range. However, its performance at ISO 12800 and beyond did leave a lot to be desired. The improvements in the camera’s video capabilities are also significant. However, at a price of Rs. 324,950, the D4 isn’t exactly cheap, and only time will tell how this model will fare in today’s competitive market.
Too read the whole review and the performance and ratings, grab the April 2012 issue of the magazine today.
Text: George Kurien and Ajay Singh
