Tamron AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

This super wide-angle zoom lens is designed for exclusive use with digital SLR cameras using a sensor smaller than full-size format. The lens provides an extended focal length of 17mm (when converted to full-size format), the desired length for todays most advanced, professional photographers using digital SLRs. The lens features a completely new optical system designed for optimal performance with digital SLR cameras.An element of both HID (High Index High Dispersion) and LD (Low Dispersion) glass are used to minimize on-axis and lateral chromatic aberrations. In addition, one high precision, large clear aperture, glass-molded aspherical element and two hybrid aspherical elements are used to compensate for spherical and chromatic aberrations and distortion, to achieve outstanding optical quality.
List Price: $899.99
Amazon Price: $549.67
Used Price: $450.00
Customer Review: Not bad, could be better
Pros: It's really cool what you can do with this lens. The special effects at close range are very intriguing, and for capturing landscapes, home interiors, etc. it really does the job well. For that reason, it's very handy to have. Cons: On my Canon 30D, the lens is not quite as sharp as my kit lens (28-135mm). It's not bad, especially on a tripod, but it could be better. I also get some purple fringes on back-lit edges. There seems to be a lot of contrast, making it hard to get the right exposure - pictures tend to be very overexposed and underexposed in a single shot. These problems can be remedied with software, and the ability to do what it does makes up for the disadvantages somewhat, but you do notice the quality difference. All in all, I like using the lens. I'm glad I have it because of what I can do with it. Make no mistake, the quality isn't as good as my Canon lens, and if I had a higher budget, I might try something else.
Customer Review: I like it
I'm not sure how I would rate the value if I had to pay the normal retail price for this lens, but I got a used one for $350 and I consider it a terrific value. Get consistently good shots with it, even at 11mm using a polarizer -- much less vignetting than I expected. The lens is really small and light for something of this sort.