This lens features a Piezo drive (PZD) to power autofocus. There is nothing to complain at in this regard. The focus is fast and accurate, and the motor is very nicely quiet. The Canon EOS 60D body that I am using for this review does not feature AFMA capability, and I do feel that this lens (like every other I’ve used) would benefit from a slight adjustment to the body to further tune focus accuracy. A 7D or 70D body (along with older models like the 50D) feature this capability. This is what superzooms are all about - one lens, that goes from wide-angle, through the standard focal length range, and on to a very respectable telephoto. Tamron has even trade-marked the term 'all in one' and its 16-300mm lens leads the class with an 18.8:1 zoom ratio. The absolutely huge zoom range offered by this lens, hasn't compromised the size, with it having similar dimension to many 4x or 5x zooms lenses and it weighs only 540g. The low weight and compact size make this lens an ideal candidate as a walkabout lens for those times you may wish to travel light. It feels right at home on the Nikon D7100 body used for testing, and will make a good companion for smaller, more compact DSLR camera bodies as well. High quality plastics with a matte finish have been used for much of the construction of the lens barrel, and it feels reasonably robust as a result. A rubber gasket, located around the metal lens bayonet, will help to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture into the camera body. aperture blades with a cicular diaphragm (This circular diaphragm stays almost perfectly circular up to two stops down from maximum aperture, f/3.5.)

One of the great things I really love about the Tamron 16-300mm is its compact design and size. Even though it has a focal range of 16mm–300 mm, it is incredibly easy to handle and has some great features that its competitors don’t have.To get a good idea of just how compact it is, take a look at this comparison photo below. This final shot was taken at Duranbah beach, on Australia’s Gold Coast. It is a wonderful view looking down at this beach during the day and this shot was taken at 225mm, handheld (effectively 360mm). Again, I used Tamron’s Vibration Control system to stabilize the image and the sharpness throughout the frame is fantastic. We compared the lens to the closest one that we had at the time – the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED which has the same maximum focal length although it has a much smaller zoom (and a 5/.6 max aperture). We were most interested in the performance of the 16-300mm on the long telephoto side (but as you will see we also made some tests on the wide side). You can see the results below:

Overview

Dave, you say I'm making a "pointless observation" because the lens will only be for casual snapshots. Thanks. But in your desire to put me down, I think you've missed what I'm really getting at, the context. Broadly speaking, there are two extremes of photographer in this world – the happy snapper and the pixel-peeper. The pixel-peeper is serious about technical quality and is prepared to sacrifice convenience to achieve what he believes is perfection. The happy snapper enjoys taking pictures and isn’t too worried about the finer points of quality, but wants to be able to enjoy his hobby.

I have just acquired of these lenses for my EOS 70D. I have been trying out some shots at 300mm. Very close up, macro, I get good sharp results, but further away (say 2m) it gets much softer in comparison (both centre frame). I have used a tripod, indoors to avoid any breeze, using contrast based focus and also manual focus (which allows a x10 on the LCD for precise adjustment, though auto is very good). I have tried from F6.3 up to F22, with best results at F8. ISO 100 and speed adjusted accordingly (but on tripod). VC mode off as on tripod. I have viewed both jpg and raw (no difference really). See attached in both macro and at 2m (ish), though I may need to post enlarged. These six pictures that you've just seen demonstrate the versatility of the Tamron 16-300mm perfectly. Whether it's shooting landscapes or seascapes at 20mm or less or shooting fast moving action such as surfing zoomed to almost 300mm, the Tamron offers more options than almost any other lens. And in regards to quality, I can only judge by the fact that I've never had any editor turn away a photo I've taken with the Tamron and submitted for print or publication. The Tamron 16-300mm's Design That makes it a good choice for photographers who want to shoot a range of subjects, from architecture to sports, without having to continually switch lenses. The downside of such superzoom lenses, however, is that they can only offer a “slow” variable maximum aperture to ensure they are both affordable and relatively lightweight.Chromatic aberration (CA) is never far away, and most prominent at shortest and longest focal lengths. It's very noticeable here around the rear wheel. 16mm, 1/200 sec, f/8, ISO 100, on Canon 7D. The sharpness at 16mm and maximum aperture are outstanding, and peak sharpness is attainable at f/1.8. However, it reduces considerably towards 70mm, and some clarity at the edges of the frame is noticeable. Chromatic aberrations are an issue at 300mm and highly visible along the edge of the frame. While its macro performance tends to reduce at 300mm, this lens holds up nicely considering its wide zoom range. The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. Simple. Plenty of distortion present, with strong +3.2% barreling at 16mm, transitioning through neutral at 18-20mm, then on to almost equally strong pincushion distortion at longer focal lengths, easing off slightly to around -2% at 200-300mm. This is very noticeable in critical subjects like architecture, but easily corrected in software. Specific optical characteristics Macro