Lens Reviews: Nikon 18-140mm and Tamron 70-300mm

Christopher Frost reviews the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di Macro, the cheapest telephoto on sale: plastic mount, stiff zoom ring, slow whining autofocus and a rotating front element, but a 1:2 macro mode locked between 180mm and 300mm. Images are soft wide open, decent at f/8, with persistent purple fringing.

DigitalRev TV tests the Nikon 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VR as a one-lens travel option while riding Hong Kong buses: build is a step up from the 18-55mm kit lens, autofocus is quiet, distortion is noticeable at both ends, fringing is well controlled, bokeh is average and it is not weather sealed.

Mohamadreza Baghayi unboxes the Nikon 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX and details its specifications on a D7200: 487 grams, 67mm filter thread, HB-32 hood, metal mount with rubber gasket, seven aperture blades, internal focusing with external zoom, apertures from f/3.5 to a minimum f/36, then tests focusing speed and noise.

Rehan Hanar reviews the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro, sold in Sony, Canon and Nikon mounts, on a Sony body: solid-feeling plastic build, 13 elements in nine groups, 465mm equivalent reach on APS-C, a macro mode, stiff zooming, noisy autofocus and no stabilisation, followed by wildlife and town samples.

Cassian of TechniCas decodes the name of the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD, then covers specifications, build, image and video quality and autofocus speed. Samples stay sharp into the corners at 300mm without chromatic aberration, and he judges the 800-gram, 350-dollar lens still worthwhile a decade after release.

Charles of Charles N Photography argues the Nikon 18-140mm suits landscape work on a D500: shoot between f/5.6 and f/11, stop to f/8 at 140mm for corner-to-corner sharpness, use ND filters rather than f/22 to slow exposures, switch off VR on a tripod and fit a cheap hood.

Mark from RealWorld tests a Nikon 18-140mm zoom on his D3400 during a two-night backcountry trip around Kentucky's Red River Gorge, expecting less distortion than the 18-200mm or 18-300mm. Shooting raw in aperture priority, with a variable ND for waterfalls, he unpacks his Teton Explorer 4000 pack and tent.

Bobby Tonelli reviews the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, the lightest telephoto zoom for Sony E-mount at 545 grams: weather resistant, 67mm filter thread, autofocus on a par with Sony's lenses and an aperture reaching f/6.3 by 250mm. Singapore samples show sharp centres with slight edge softness at 300mm.

Photo Ways looks at the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di Macro in Pentax K mount, a 100-pound lens with stiff zoom, short-throw focus and slow autofocus. It is soft wide open and at 300mm, better at f/8, and its 1:2 macro mode engages from 180mm, sampled on a six-megapixel K110D.

Charles of Charles N Photography shares photos from a family trip through the Scenic Rim, Tenterfield's autumn maples and an old railway bridge, all shot handheld on the Nikon 18-140mm between 18mm and 105mm, mostly in aperture priority, arguing that lens quality matters more than the camera body behind it.