The 18-200mm Canon Lens - Dyn-O-mite Lens That Does It All

If you own a Canon Digital Rebel or one of the Canon xxD digital SLR Cameras, the 18-200mm Canon Lens is deserving of a peek from you.While we refer to it as the 18-200mm Canon lens, it has an official name. It is a Canon EF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 IS telephoto lens.. Don't you think 18-200mm Canon lens is lots better? As we break down the name, we see EF-S. This signifies the lens is made for Canon's entry level cameras, such as the Canon Digital Rebel series and its 50D digital SLR (along with the earlier xxD models). That means that you aren't able to use this all-in-one lens on the more expert models such as the Canon 7D and the full frame models.Perfect For TravelThese Super-Zoom lenses are strongly regarded as vacation or travel lenses because they are "one lens fits all" situations. You can abandon your camera bag back at the hotel room.It is terrific for getting those fast shots. You do not have to stop and attach just the right lens to your camera body. Many times the shot is gone by the time you finish setting up to take it.In fact, having to change lenses is one of the blessings AND the curses of digital SLR owners. We actually buy the cameras so we can change the lens, then we are frustrated when we have to.There are several other advantages worth mentioning.First, as pointed out is the focal range, which is 11x. Looking at the amazing variation in range, the image quality is extraordinary.Also, there is IS (image stabilization) which is supposed to give you an additional 4-stops of aperture without having to use a tripod. This is important because the widest aperture is only f/3.5, and it increases from there to a max of f/5.6. This is typical of the super-zoom lenses, whether Canon or some other manufacturer.One more benefit is the bokeh that is produced when using a wide aperture. Photographers are always comparing bokeh. Briefly, it is when you try to get the main subject of your photo in sharp focus and have the other areas of the photo in a pleasingly blurred focus. The 18-200 does a pretty good job with this, but it is not considered the best.The last benefit has to do with a comparison to the "kit lenses" that Canon promotes. Sometimes new buyers purchase the 18-55mm starter lens and an additional 55-250mm lens for the mid-range focal lengths. These two lenses are not bad as far as image quality goes, but they are not high quality construction.The Canon 18-200mm lens is far better constructed than the kit lenses.The Down SideThere are some issues to consider. You will discover this true of most super-zooms, whether they are Canon, Nikon, Sigma, or Tamron lenses. There is a compromise in image quality if you want to get the wide focal range. Most will have barrel distortion at the wide angles and chromatic aberration issues at both the shortest and the longest focal lengths.This is not to say that the images are bad - the lens produces really good images. If the problem areas were not pointed out, many would not even notice them. Nevertheless if you are searching for the pixel-perfect image, you will possibly need to pay more money or work with a more specific focal length lens.What about third party lenses.Third party manufacturers have designed some really good lenses that fit Canon digital SLR cameras. If the positive aspects and troublesome areas are the exact same, why not give some thought to saving some money for one of those? It's really worth thinking about.