Unkle Cleo
I am an amateurs amateur photographer, but in my opinion, this is a very poor quality lens. It is made of all plastic, including the mount, and has a very cheap feel once you pick it up. It is indeed very light, but I would much rather have the weight of my Nikon lens knowing it is of much better quality. My biggest complaint is the binding of the zoom ring as one changes from near to far in distance. The movement is very choppy and binding throughout the 18-300mm range, and I suspect its due to the cheap plastic used for the gears inside. I havent decided if Im going to keep the lens or return it; it may be a good tool with which to learn, but it certainly is not, in my opinion, a good long-term investment. I may just replace it with a Nikon 18-300mm instead. This is my second Tamron lens and I have yet to be impressed by either one, but, I am, after all, only an amateur at best. The lens also seems to use an inordinate amount of battery energy. My D300 went through an entire battery in less than two hours of shooting, where as my Nikon lens will last more than a weekend. Your mileage may vary.