Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Opinion: I have been using this lens for well over a year now, paired up with a Canon 60D and it has been great. I originally had the twin lens kit 18-55 and 70-300 but found I was missing a lot of shots when I had the wrong lens on - this has totally eliminated the issue due to its fantastic range. You do need to be aware of some of the limitations: at the 18mm there is a lot of distortion at the edges - people will have 'fat arm' syndrome at this length if they are positioned close to the sides of the frame. I also agree with others that the colour reproduction is a little dull. I did compare this to the Tamron superzoom that goes to 270mm but when I put them on the camera the extra focal reach didn't actually seem to be that much more and the Tamron was a LOT slower to focus - so much so that I knew I would miss a lot of shots. The canon is fast and accurate to grab focus, especially if you select a set focus point. I have also used it for semi-pro portraiture, again you need to watch the focal length, distortion and sharpness, and the clients have been happy with the images. I haven't noticed the image degradation at the extreme zoom lengths but then I usually stop around 180mm because as mentioned the last 20mm zoom doesn't seem to increase the image size much at all. I do a lot of event photography for schools and the flexibility of the zoom is just unbeatable. Paired with a decent flash (580 exII) I have been able to get fantastic shots of school performances in dimly lit halls and also used it to take 400 student portraits which came out much better than I expected. Overall a great all-round lens.

Opinion: This lens is a work horse, it has been on many travels and sports days with me and it hasn’t given up on me yet.

The optical quality might not be the best, but for the price you are paying it is well worth it. The huge focal length, light weight and built in IS all add up in the end.

I originally bought this lens as a walk around multi-functional lens, I now use it for sport and wildlife and it has done me proud. One does need to play to the lens' strengths to avoid the drawbacks. Anything below f6.3 and its very soft, I also try not extend the zoom all the way to 200mm as that affects the overall quality.

Stick to its stronger attributes and it'll definitely be worth your while, and money.

Opinion: I would have to say thiat this lens is mediocre. The lens has trouble focusing in close up situations as well as picture quality is degredated at best.

Opinion: Sinve when I have had it (2 years), it is my all-around lens.Wherever I travel, this is my first choice.The scientific articles present this lens as a compromise lens, that would never deliver quality.They must be right on paper. However, in real world, no lens can beat it. I find the 18-200 together with ef-s 10-22 the perfect combination, that is also fine from the weight's point of view.
Special point: the image stabilization is just fantastic.
The 60d works with it in good harmony:stability, handling, ISO, AF speed.

Opinion: This was my first lens purchase, and admittedly I wasn't to familiar with the ins and out of optics back then. I was never to impressed with the quality of this lens, even before I knew about stuff like viginetting, speed and IQ.

The zoom range was attractive, but to be honets, from 170-200mm there isn't any real zoom and only degradation of the image. It is heavier than you think and quite clunky if you were thinking of this as a walk around do-it-all lens.

So I got a 17-50 f2.8 and for me, this is so much better as a walk around everyday lens. And the flexibility, read lower light and indoor use, is amazing. My advise to xxxD and similar owners would be to consider third party f2.8 lenses, but if you are really attracted by this zoom range, again I am sure paying less for something from Sigma et al will serve you better as it would be cheaper, give you quicker autofocus and will be very simmilar in picture quality.

Opinion: I have recently quit on photography to dedicate myself to retouch, and finally have some time to give out a few reviews.

I had quite a few lens, multiple zoom ranges and primes, L glass, Tokina, etc.

This 18-200, is quite an under rated lens.

The long zoom, makes people suspicious, but no reason for that. Sharpness is quite impressive for a large zoom range, maybe just not so much as it approaches the 200mm zone...

It is not that much brilliant in terms of color rendering, it needs a bit of edition, but perfectly acceptable.

For a walk around lens, photo journalism, zoo photography, weddings its just perfect. You can adapt fast to any circumstances and the IS works really well. It saves a lot photos when you work with the camera in hands. I have used it as well in studio with great results.

Comparing it to the Canon 24-70, I do notice that colors are not so vibrant, a bit less sharp (but the IS) when working without tripod helps...

So in general, it is not a perfect lens, not as sharp as L glass, but for someone with a low budget, who can not have multiple lens to choose from for each circumstance, it makes a great job. For the price/quality ratio, its worth the money, because it can be used for everything.

Cheers

GDML77

Opinion: In terms of built-quality and handling, the Canon 18-200 is a pretty nice lens. It's smooth to zoom (at least compared to Tamron 18-270), and I believe it feels and is robust enough for the average user. The autofocus is, even though is has a micro motor, rather quick.

My biggest complain is about the optical quality. As seen in dpreview's review, it's not that sharp with the largest aperture and in some situations an incredible amount of chromatic aberration. There are however a pretty good possibility to remove some of that in post-processing, but not all.

I love macro shooting and I get amazed of how close I can get with this lens at 200mm, but I am disappointed by the optical performance when closing up (maybe that's why Canon specifies 45cm as closest distance, about 10cm more than actual): everything gets unsharp so don't expect any wonders when it comes to macro shooting.

To finalize, I can recommend this lens to anyone who is aware of the optical problems that exists. The outside such as handling, af and built-quality should be no problem for anyone even considering a consumer lens.