For many years I have been using Cannon cameras with Canon L lenses; my current camera is the EOS R. Whilst I am very comfortable with it, I have two concerns. Firstly I found the Canon very heavy and secondly, I was aware of the existence of super zoom lenses, however, these were only available for camera with a cropped sensor.
I watched numerous videos on YouTube and became quite interested in the Fuji XT5 camera and the Tamron 18 - 300 lens. Reviews tended to be mainly positive, however, the pervasive theme was that a lens with such a large range of focal lengths would have to be a compromise in some areas.
In September I took the plunge and ordered a Fujifilm XT5 and the 18 - 300 mm Tamron lens. At first, I felt like a beginner using the XT5 but over the next few months, I became more familiar with it. Most of my recently posted photographs on here have been taken using the above camera and lens.
My current thoughts are that the new set-up is not as sharp as the Canon set-up, but certainly good enough for photographs to be posted on the internet. I do not do any printing of photographs. The new set-up was also lighter to carry and I appreciated not having to carry or change lenses. The variable maximum aperture on the Tamron 18 - 300 mm lens is f3.5 to f6.3, which has not been an issue for photographs taken during the day. In low-light situations, it may be necessary to use a tripod, which of course negates the concept of a light set-up.
I wonder if any members here use the XT5 or the Tamron 18 - 300 superzoom lens and if so what are their thoughts on them?
@lumpiniman I tried the Tamron18-300 on my Canon and gave it back a after a few weeks. It was too soft at times and the edges were not sharp.
Saying that, I actually now regret it as it was very versatile. Now I never seem to have the right lens on the camera and it is getting heavy for me to hold with the 300mm lens.
I suggest you stay with it and enjoy the comfort of always having the right lens on ;-)
We have a Pentax 18-270 which I find think is soft. I need to find its sweet spot, because when it's sharp it's spot on so think it's my inaccurate use.
I have the X-T5 and have grown to love it, I do not have the Tamron 18-300 but have heard good reports of it. Have a look at Pal2tech's review of the lens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EbccDjpRGg
Chris of P2T is a great guy and his reviews are always spot on.
As far as sharpness, I can see exactly where @ludwigsdiana is coming from. I had reservations about sharpness initially, but having played with the AF settings I find now I am getting reasonably sharp photographs.
@allsop I do watch Pal2tech on YouTube. I have picked up some good information about using the XT5.
Anyone with a Fujifilm camera should also check out FujiXweekly - lots of film simulation recipes to try that give different looks to in-camera jpegs sooc. https://fujixweekly.com/fujifilm-x-trans-v-recipes/
Well this is a useful conversation for me! I'm primarily a Canon user but the heavy setup makes it impossible for travel / street photography so I went with the Fuji XT-5 as my second setup. I don't have the Tamron but will look into it. At present, I'm finding the "kit" lens extremely useful and I added the 55-200 which is amazingly light for a telephoto lens. I'm finding that the improved post-production LR/plug-ins to be able to "fix" most problems, even for printing. And perhaps that's a more reasonable solution for my aging back and body than carrying the weight of my Canon equipment around. Thanks for this thread!
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Saying that, I actually now regret it as it was very versatile. Now I never seem to have the right lens on the camera and it is getting heavy for me to hold with the 300mm lens.
I suggest you stay with it and enjoy the comfort of always having the right lens on ;-)
Chris of P2T is a great guy and his reviews are always spot on.
Thank you for the comments above.
As far as sharpness, I can see exactly where @ludwigsdiana is coming from. I had reservations about sharpness initially, but having played with the AF settings I find now I am getting reasonably sharp photographs.
@allsop I do watch Pal2tech on YouTube. I have picked up some good information about using the XT5.