Tamron 28-300mm f3.5-6.3 XR VC lens - Canon AF

+ I'd read some negative reviews about this lens but I think it's a cracking lens for the price. It's a little soft at the 300mm end but the VC works very well and I've even managed some crisp hand-held close-ups of butterflies. It's so lightweight it's pleasure to use and I like the fact it's unobtrusive. My 70-200mm Canon L series is a marvellous lens but it's hardly discreet and being the F4 with no IS it needs a tripod. The Tamron is a great lens for on the move and if you also take a wide angle you should be covered for more or less anything.

- Not bad exactly but do remember to turn off the VC if you are using a tripod. I forgot and the VC kicked in, tried to counteract non-existent movement and left me with blurry shots. I could have kicked myself after I downloaded the images! It's also a little soft at 300mm but that's just nit-picking really. I have some shots in a Tamron set in my Flickr stream if you want to see what this little lens can achieve. http://www.flickr.com/photos/debs1968/

+ easy to use, lightweight, good images

- i havent found any real bad points

+ Good image stability and excellent zoom

- None (so far!)