Lens tests/ All-in-One Zoom Lenses

Tokina 35-300mm f-4.5-6.7. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax

Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.5-6.7. Minimum f-22-32
Angle of view: 63-8 degrees
Construction: 17 elements in 14 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 8.2 ft
Zooming: Rotation
Length: 101.3 mm
Diameter: 78.3mm
Filter size: 72mm
Weight: 22.6 Oz
Accessories: lens hood

Test: Body length is surprisingly short considering its focal lengths. Solid in black color with red around the front of the lens. Includes a zoom lock that prevents the zoom from sliding when carrying the lens or when pointing the lens down when photographing. Zooming is very smooth and damped. Focus ring is placed in front and damped for manual focusing. Lens uses Super-low dispersion glass (SD) to improve image quality at longer focal lengths. Test slides were very sharp at 35mm setting with only a slight loss of corner sharpness at f-4.5 and 5.6. Lens produced crisp images between f-8 and f-16 with very good sharpness at f-22 and acceptable results at f-32. Lens produced good results at f-5.6 and 70mm setting with slight loss of sharpness in the center and corners. At f-8, center and corner sharpness is improved with very sharp images between f-11 and f-22, and good at f-32. At 135mm setting center and corners were soft at f-6.7. Center was improved at f-8 with very good sharpness between f-11 and f-22, and good at f-32. At 200mm*, lens produced acceptable results at f-6.7 with soft center and corners. Sharpness was slightly improved at f-8, with very good sharpness between f-11 and f-22. Lens showed soft center and corners at f-6.7 and f-8, set at 300mm. Lens needs to be stopped down to f-11 or f-16 for best results. Center and corner sharpness was greatly improved at f-11 and f-16, and good at f-22. Lens produced contrasty images and was very comfortable to handle. Autofocus was fast and quiet, with easy manual focusing and zooming.

Verdict: You'll be amazed at its size. It is hard to believe this lens holds so many focal lengths. I liked the clear footage scale markings on the lens. I was happy with the results throughout its range, except at 300mm setting. Lens needs improvement at f-6.7 and f-8. Although slides were improved at smaller apertures, telephotos need to be sharp at their wide-open apertures. Lens feels solid. Don't let its small size fool you. At 300mm setting, It is still a long telephoto. Use a tripod for best results, especially when your maximum aperture is f-6.7. An affordable lens, replacing two popular zoom lenses, with very good overall sharpness.
Overall performance: 35mm: very good. 75mm: very good. 135mm: very good. 200mm: good. 300mm: good
Rating: 16/20.
Note: *Lens does not have marking at 200mm setting. Test at 200mm setting is approximate. Lens was not tested at 50mm setting. Lens was not tested at f-32 and f-45, in 200mm and 300mm lengths.

Special thanks to George Parada for lending his camera and lens for this test.

Tamron 28-200mm f-3.8-5.6 AF Super. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax

Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-3.8-5.6. Minimum f-22-32
Angle of view: 75-12 degrees
Construction: 16 elements in 14 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 37.4 inch
Zooming: Rotation
Length: 82 mm
Diameter: 3.1 inch
Filter size: 72mm
Weight: 1 LB
Accessories: None

Test: A very well made lens and lightweight. Finished in black (also available in silver) with large zoom ring which turns very smoothly and well damped. Focus ring is damped but very narrow. Lens uses internal focusing and does not rotate when focusing. Aspherical glass is used for better image quality. Test slides showed edge to edge sharpness at 28mm and 35mm focal lengths at all f-stops. There was no loss of sharpness at 70mm setting at any f-stops. Slides were crisp with excellent sharpness between f-8 and f-22. Lens performed flawlessly at 135mm with very good sharpness in center and corners at all f-stops. At 200mm setting, slides had good center sharpness but soft corners at f-5.6. Corners were improved at f-8 with very good sharpness between f-11 and f-22. Lens produced contrasty slides and was very easy to handle. Its compact body makes it ideal for handheld photography.

Verdict: Lens is capable of producing razor sharp images at all focal lengths and f-stops, except at 200mm where it needs to be closed down two stops to improve sharpness. I like its zoom ring which holds setting very well, but manual focus ring is narrow. Lens has very good close-focusing. Internal focusing is a great addition and useful when using filters. One of the best short to long telephoto lenses, but needs improvements at its f-5.6 aperture and 200mm, where you need faster shutter speeds.
Overall performance: 28mm: excellent. 35mm: excellent. 70mm: excellent. 135mm: excellent. 200mm: very good.
Rating: 18/20

Note: Lens was not tested at 50mm and 100mm focal lengths. Lens was not tested at f-32.

Tamron 28-300mm f-3.8-5.6 AF Super. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax

Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-3.5-6.3. Minimum f-22-38
Angle of view: 75-8 degrees
Construction: 16 elements in 14 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 0.82m
Zooming: Rotation
Length: 3.7 inch
Diameter: 3.2 inch
Filter size: 72mm
Weight: 20.6 oz
Accessories: Lenshood

Test: Unbelievably compact and lightweight, considering its range of focal lengths. Beautifully finished in black with solid construction. Lens includes three Hybrid Aspherical elements and two high-grade LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements for improved sharpness. Large rubberize zoom ring that hold settings very well, with lock lever to hold the zoom ring when carrying the lens. Autofocus is fast, with damped manual focus ring, but narrow. Test slides were razor sharp at 28mm at all f-stops with no visible loss of corner sharpness. At 35mm setting, lens produced very good result with edge to edge sharpness at all f-stops. At 100mm setting, lens continued to give crisp and clear images throughout its f-stops with no visible loss of sharpness in the corners. At 200mm setting, there was some loss of sharpness in the corners at f-5.6, but very good center sharpness. Lens produced crisp images at f-8 with improved corners. Optimum performance was between f-11 to f-22. Set at 300mm, test slide was soft in the center but more noticeable in the corners at f-6.3. There was some improvements at f-8 with very good sharpness at f-11. At f-16 and f-22, results were similar, with very good corner to corner sharpness. Lens was very easy to handle with fast autofocus and smooth zoom ring. Test slides were very contrasty. Lens has very good close-focusing ability.

Verdict: The size of this lens is a proof of what technology can produce today without sacrificing quality. With this lens, Tamron has proven me wrong. I didn't think it was possible to create a zoom with this range of focal lengths and still be able to create sharp images. With its compact design and sharpness, it is truly the best lens in its class. I was amazed with the test results. Its main problem is at 300mm setting at wide to moderate apertures. Its close-focusing capability is a major plus.
Overall performance: 28mm: excellent. 35mm: excellent. 100mm: very good. 200mm: very good. 200mm: very good. 300mm: good
Rating: 17/20

Note: Lens was not tested at 50mm and 70mm settings. Lens was not tested at f-32 and f-38.

Special thanks to Linda D'Spain for lending her lens for this test.

Vivitar/Phoenix 28-300mm f-4 - 6.3 AF. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon

Lens tested: Vivitar. Mount tested: Minolta Maxxum

Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.6-6.3. Minimum f-22
Angle of view: 75-8 degrees
Construction: 17 elements in 15 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 6.2 ft
Zooming: Push/Pull
Length: 5 inches
Diameter: 3.7 inch
Filter size: 77mm
Weight: 20.1 oz
Accessories: Lenshood

Test: Very lightweight in black with very large zoom ring, and good size manual focus ring. Zoom ring is under damped and slides down even when held slightly up. Autofocus is fast, but manual focus is under damped. Lens is comfortable to hold. Test slides showed sharp centers with slightly soft corners at f-4 and f-5.6. Corners were much improved at f-8 with very good sharpness at f-11 and f-16. At 35mm setting, center was sharp with slightly soft corners at f-4.5 to f-5.6 with very sharp results at f-8. At f-11 to f-16 there was no loss of center or corner sharpness. At 70mm, lens produced crisp images with no loss of sharpness in corners, with excellent sharpness at f-8 and f-11. At 135mm and 200mm, results were somewhat similar, with good overall sharpness, except soft corners noticeable at f-5.6 and f-8. Lens produced very sharp images at 135mm between f-11 and f-22. At 200mm, slides were sharp in centers with soft corners, with optimum performance at f-11 and f-16, with good sharpness at f-22. At 300mm and f-6.3, there was loss of sharpness in center and corners, with only a slight improvement at f-8. Center was greatly improved at f-11 with good corner sharpness. At f-16, lens produced best result with good overall sharpness, and good result at f-22. Contrast was very good. Lens has very good markings with different colors for meters, feet and focal length setting.

Verdict: A compact lens for scenic to wildlife. Very lightweight for handheld photography. I had some problems with the zoom ring which slides down and can be hard to set if camera is pointed up. You need to hold the zoom ring that can cause vibration with long exposures. Close-focusing ability at 28mm and 35mm is far. Lens produced very good results from 28mm to 135mm, but needs some improvements at 200mm. At its 300mm setting, lens must be stopped down to f-11 for maximum sharpness which can result in very slow shutter speeds. An affordable lens for beginners and students, with good overall performance.
Overall performance: 28mm: very good. 35mm: very good. 70mm: very good. 135mm: very good. 200mm: good. 300mm: fair.
Rating: 14/20

Note: Lens was not tested at 50mm and 100mm settings.

Do you want some great bargains?
Equipment I test are either borrowed, demos at camera stores (used outside the store), rental, or purchased. I look for bargains on used and new products. When I find a good deal, I purchase the camera or lens for testing and my own pleasure. I then auction the camera and lens on line for the price I paid. I only purchase used equipment that are in very good condition or brand new cameras and lenses at reduced price. If you like, you can fill out the form below to have your name added to my list of buyers. When I'm done testing an equipment, I will e-mail you prior to listing it for auction. I will include the minimum price and the condition of the camera or lens as well as page URL so you can see the picture and more detail information on the equipment . If you like to purchase the equipment, you must e-mail me within 48 hours and include the maximum price you are willing to pay. Please note that I will only respond to the highest bidder which is kept confidential. Only the highest bidder will receive an e-mail. I have purchased both used and new equipment at very low prices. For example, I bought a Tokina 80-400mm f-5.6, brand new on sale for less than half price at an electronic store that was going out of business: A Tamron 28-300mm f-3.8-5.6 Super demo model in excellent condition on clearance also at half price. Some short zooms I have tested here, were purchased in a trade show at unbelievably low prices. I do not have bargain cameras and lenses at all times and can't tell you what I may have in the future.