Tamron 18-400 mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD
3. Build quality and image stabilization
In the following photo the tested lens is positioned next to the Sigma EX 17–50 mm f/2.8 OS HSM and the Canon EF 35 mm f/2 IS USM.
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A rubber gasket joined with a metal, immobile, silver ring is the first part of the proper body of the lens. That ring turns into smooth, black casing with a white mark making an alignment with a camera easier. Above that mark you see a focusing mode switch (AF/MF) and a stabilization unit switch (VC ON/OFF). Right next to them there is a big inscription “DESIGNED IN JAPAN” and then “MADE IN CHINA” in smaller print, along with the filter diameter which is 72 mm. Looking the other way round you see an inscription TAMRON and a LOCK switch on its right. That switch is used to block the tube of the lens at 18 mm. Fortunately we didn’t have to use it often; neither the pull of gravity nor sudden movements of the photographer could trigger any tendency to creep.
The lens is also compatible with the Tamron TAP-in Console for connecting it to a PC. That way you can upgrade its software easily and adjust the AF and VC systems with great precision.
Buyers get in the box two caps and a petal-type hood.
Optical stabilization
The Tamron 18–400 mm f/3.5–6.3 Di II VC HLD is equipped with an optical stabilization unit and its producer claim 2.5 EV stops improvement (according to the CIPA standard). It is interesting because usually producers declare a four-stop efficiency. Of course we decided to check it. With the lens set at the maximum focal length, we took several dozen photos at every exposure time ranging from 1/640 to 1/10 of a second with the stabilization switched on and off and then we determined a percentage of blurred photos for each set. The appropriate graph showing that percentage, correlative with the exposure time expressed in EV (with 0 EV being an equivalent of 1/500 of a second), you can find below.
The maximum distance between both curves reaches a bit higher than 3 EV and such is, in our opinion, the efficiency of the optical stabilization unit of the tested lens. It is a result a tad higher than declared and very good at the same time, especially if you take into account the fact that this lens is aimed at amateur photographers.