Best Buys: Lenses

Top 25 Best Buys

One-Eyed Jack of All Trades: Tamron 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II AF LD Aspherical

Who? Light-packers who hate switching lenses. What? Tamron 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II AF LD Aspherical. Why? Why not? If you can get an equivalent of 29-375mm from a single lens, what's not to like? Particularly since in Pop Photo Lab tests it posted Excellent SQF numbers at all four tested focal lengths -- remarkable for a zoom of this range (almost 14X). While it shows Visible barrel distortion at widest angle (not uncommon), distortion is very well controlled at other focal lengths. No clunker, this lens is less than 4 inches long at its most compact and weighs slightly under a pound. Now!$500, street, in mounts for Canon, Nikon, Pentax/Samsung, and Sony.