500D + Tamron 18-200

Does anyone use a 500D body and a Tamron 18-200mm lens? I'm looking for a cheap camera and lens combination that I can walk around with to take landscapes, bugs & butterflies and a bit of event and street stuff. I know the Tamron isn't a great lens but I am on a tight budget and can't be doing with lens swapping when I out and about. All I am looking for is something that is faster than my SX240 and G15 cameas with a bit better image quality.

Is anyone using the Tamron 18-200 lens on any older body? How does it perform in terms of speed and image quality?

Has anyone any suggestions on another walk around setup I could get for around £350 that would give me better speed and image quality than I get from my compacts. Thanks.

What I would do is save up just a little more week by week, until you can afford a Canon T2i (550D) camera or Canon T3i (600D) camera with a Canon 18-55 IS lens and 55-250mm IS lens. It's not that expensive for what you get and the quality is very good.

You can get pictures like this in snowy or rainy/cloudy weather. It's worth it to save a little more. Check out the Dpreview reviews. I don't know enough about the Tamron 18-200mm lens, but the Canon 18-55 IS and 55-250mm IS lenses are highly rated. The STM lenses are reportedly better, but more expensive.

Photo No. 1 - A rare snow day in the Portland, Oregon area....



Photo No. 2 - Another one....



Photo No. 3 - Fort Vancouver





Photo No. 4 - Fort Vancouver



Photo No. 5 - Public Library Bus



Photo No. 6 - Public Library Bus

Hi Digirame, thanks for the recommendations. I used to have a 1000D with the 18-55 kit lens but never bought the 55-250mm. Instead I bought a used Tamron 70-300mm non stabilised lens which in hindsight was a mistake.

Cool snow photos, looks like fun

My wifes camera is trhe 550D/T2i and she has the Tamron 18-200mm lens on it. The lens works great out doors or in a well lit area. Indoors, if you zoom in with low light it does a lot hunting around to get in focus. Out doors in does everything just find so she uses it as her walk around lens and uses my 18-55STM lens in doors.

Thank you Detnight, that's useful to know.

You're on your own on the camera body, and I do...have a couple of Tamron lenses I do like....but the 18-200 is NOT one of them. The Tamron 18-200 is by far the worst lens I have out of 7 (Canon mount) lenses. I also tried the 18-270 Tamron lens and returned that one. No way to get sharp, crisp pictures, outside of shooting "everything" at F-11, even then it's very questionable. Maybe I need to scratch up my glasses...!

That's my experience.

Mike

P.s. - Look into the SL1. If you look around, that is a VERY good camera for a very reasonable cost.