Tamron AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

by Tamron

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.4 x 4.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007WK8NU
• Item model number: AF13C-700
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 24, 2005

Product Description

This super wide-angle zoom lens is designed for exclusive use with digital SLR cameras using a sensor smaller than full-size format. The lens provides an extended focal length of 17mm (when converted to full-size format), the desired length for today's most advanced, professional photographers using digital SLRs. The lens features a completely new optical system designed for optimal performance with digital SLR cameras. An element of both HID (High Index High Dispersion) and LD (Low Dispersion) glass are used to minimize on-axis and lateral chromatic aberrations. In addition, one high precision, large clear aperture, glass-molded aspherical element and two hybrid aspherical elements are used to compensate for spherical and chromatic aberrations and distortion, to achieve outstanding optical quality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tamron 11-18, November 10, 2006

By 

Richard D. Conti "Pro-sumer" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tamron AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I did a lot of research prior to buying this lens....comparing it to other wide angles etc. It got good ratings and I agree. I use it with my Canon 20D and it performs well. Pics are clean with no major noticable abberations. You can get a somewhat cool "fisheye" effect at the low end without having to buy an expensive fisheye lens. Use a lens hood because there is the potential for a lot of flare typical for this lens class. For the pro-sumer like me....it does the job at a lower price than it's competitors. Amazon was fine.....best price with no problems with shipping etc/.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Any port in a storm, August 10, 2009

By 

B-Rell (Pittsburg, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tamron AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

While vacationing in San Fransisco, I realized that I needed a wide angle lens pretty desperately.

I checked at four or five touristy camera shops (they all seemed kind of shady - the kind that want you to only pay cash). Finally, I found a shop near the fishermans wharf that had a tamron lens (everyone else only had sigma). I took the plunge and bought it for $529 thinking that I was probably over spending by a hundred bucks or so. (Turns out I got a pretty good deal)

Over the next 8 days the lens worked flawlessly! Wide enough to capture what I wanted: Alcatraz, the redwood forest, the golden gate and bay area bridges as well as the city skyline and wharf. I shot over 3,000 images, 1/2 to 2/3 of them with this lens. Every one of them was sharp. There is a slight fisheye effect (barrel distortion) at the 11mm end - but that was expected. The autofocus was as fast as any lens I own. You could buy a better lens but it would cost alot (alot, alot, alot) more than this great lens!

I would recommend this lens for consideration to anyone looking for a wide angle lens. I would also recommend a haze or uv filter - as the lens is so large at the end that it can catch alot more debris and dust than a normal lens. Also, use the lens hood - it saved my lens from a couple of dings and scrapes ( It also helped with solar flare but I had to use my hand frequently to block the sun - that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5)

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so performance from an (relatively) expensive lens, October 12, 2006

By 

Mesmerizer (GT, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tamron AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I've been playing with this lens attached to my EOS 400D for couple of weeks now and I'm affraid it's not living up to my expectations, or it's relatively high price. Out of all the third party contenders (Tamron, Sigma & Tokina), this one is the most expensive, about $100 more than Tokina, yet it has the most limited zoom range, but most importantly, it's way too soft. Maybe I just have a bad copy, but in that case, for the price the QC should be better. At 18mm, it's marginally better than the 18-55 Canon kit lens, but then again, I don't need it for 18mm. Color rendition is OK and with some post-processing it makes acceptable 8x10 prints, but I just can't get over the price difference, so I'm returning it and trying my luck with Tokina 12-24...