Physical Views & Controls

The top view of the lens shows how compact it really is, measuring just under 3.5-inches at the 18mm end. When you zoom to the telephoto end, the length almost doubles. Weighing in at just 15.9oz, the additional 1 pound is easily added to your dSLR camera without making it uncomfortable to carry and operate. Both the length and weight of this new lens has decreased significantly from the previous 18-270mm lens (Tarmon claims this unit is 24% smaller).





As we have seen on other Tamron models, the zoom control, while comfortable, is a bit stiff when zooming out. It does zoom back in very easily however. The zoom lock allows you to "lock" the lens in its wide (18mm) position for safe travel. To zoom the lens you rotate the wheel in a clockwise fashion, which is the opposite of Canon's zoom lenses.

Tamron's easy to use switches for Auto/Manual focus and the camera's Vibration Compensation (VC) are easily within reach of your thumb, and offer enough resistance that you should not have to worry about bumping one of them accidentally.

First introduced on their A005 telephoto zoom lens, Tamron has incorporated their new VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization system in the B008. This is a tri-axial system, which they claim gives you up to a 4 stop advantage over a non-IS lens. On the right you can see an expanded view of the VC system's complex design (photo courtesy of Tamron), which overall helps increase the chances that you'll capture blur free photos when shooting handheld and in lower lighting conditions.











The B005 uses a filter thread of 62mm to allow you to attach filters to the lens as well as a bayonet mount on the end for accessories like the included lens shade.





Tamron includes a large "flower-shaped" lens shade or hood. It measures about 1.5 inches at it's longest point, and features a ribbed interior to help reduce reflections. For storage, you simply reverse the hood and attach it to the lens. However, this blocks the focus control completely.






Currently, the B005 is being offered for both Canon and Nikon dSLRs. Above you can see the Canon EF mount, which is constructed using durable metal materials. One important note, when using the Nikon version of this lens, the Nikon dSLR must have an internal focus motor in order to use AF functionally of this lens.

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