Tamron Zoom Shootout (28-75, 28-200, 35-150 EF, and 70-180)
100/150mm
The 18-135 responds here by improving in the center and on one side, closing the gap on the 28-200 and coming quite close to it. The other side worsens a little still possibly decentered here a little bit). The Tamron wins obviously and the first three shots show this. The fourth shot is the 28-200 at 150mm taken the first day (left) and today (right). once again, it looks fantastic today and even better than last time when I thought the 28-200 was already looking great compared to the other lenses again at 150mm.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? i don't know, but something I did last time systematically disadvantaged the 28-200 vs today. I am not saying that it would wipe the floor with the 70-180, 35-150 and 28-75 if I were to retest them all (I won't...). The light was harsh (mid-day) and the temps were insane (high 80's to low 90's temps) on the first day, so all the lenses were disadvantaged equally, but today was cool and overcast (low 70's temps) and late afternoon/evening, so the images from today all make the 28-200 look great. Anyone who dismissed this lens because of my initial comments about the mid focal range performance should see this again. If I had to guess, the AF-S in 12.4x was not nailing it under the harsher light last time like it was today. This may also be a fault of the 28-200, but if there is a fault it is not it's resolution apparently.
Tamron Zoom Shootout (28-75, 28-200, 35-150 EF, and 70-180)
100/150mm
The 18-135 responds here by improving in the center and on one side, partially closing the gap on the 28-200. The other side worsens a little still possibly decentered here a little bit). The Tamron wins obviously and the first three shots show this. The fourth shot is the 28-200 at 150mm taken the first day (left) and today (right). once again, it looks fantastic today and even better than last time when I thought the 28-200 was already looking great compared to the other lenses again at 150mm.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? i don't know, but something I did last time systematically disadvantaged the 28-200 vs today. I am not saying that it would wipe the floor with the 70-180, 35-150 and 28-75 if I were to retest them all (I won't...). The light was harsh (mid-day) and the temps were insane (high 80's to low 90's temps) on the first day, so all the lenses were disadvantaged equally, but today was cool and overcast (low 70's temps) and late afternoon/evening, so the images from today all make the 28-200 look great. Anyone who dismissed this lens because of my initial comments about the mid focal range performance should see this again. If I had to guess, the AF-S in 12.4x was not nailing it under the harsher light last time like it was today. This may also be a fault of the 28-200, but if there is a fault it is not it's resolution apparently.
Tamron Zoom Shootout (28-75, 28-200, 35-150 EF, and 70-180)
100/150mm
The 18-135 responds here by improving in the center and on one side, partially closing the gap on the 28-200. The other side worsens a little still possibly decentered here a little bit). The Tamron wins obviously and the first three shots show this. The fourth shot is the 28-200 at 150mm taken the first day (left) and today (right). once again, it looks fantastic today and even better than last time when I thought the 28-200 was already looking great compared to the other lenses again at 150mm.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? i don't know, but something I did last time systematically disadvantaged the 28-200 vs today. I am not saying that it would wipe the floor with the 70-180, 35-150 and 28-75 if I were to retest them all (I won't...). The light was harsh (mid-day) and the temps were insane (high 80's to low 90's temps) on the first day, so all the lenses were disadvantaged equally, but today was cool and overcast (low 70's temps) and late afternoon/evening, so the images from today all make the 28-200 look great. Anyone who dismissed this lens because of my initial comments about the mid focal range performance should see this again. If I had to guess, the AF-S in 12.4x was not nailing it under the harsher light last time like it was today. This may also be a fault of the 28-200, but if there is a fault it is not it's resolution apparently.
