All-in-one Zoom Lenses
The have it all with all-in-one zoom lens solutions can be an ideal travel partner when you want a minimum amount of lens gear

They are called “travel zooms,” “walkabout lenses” or just “go-to glass,” zoom lenses that cover the approximate range of 18mm to 250mm have a place in everyone’s camera bag. On a typical DSLR like the Nikon D90, that focal length translates to an effective focal length of 27-375mm. This focal range covers most situations, including landscapes, portraits, sports and wildlife.

All-in-one zooms are light and compact, and which give them a big advantage when you pack a lot of camera gear. One thought is that, just one all-in-one zoom can replace three or even four other lenses at just a fraction of the bulk. For example, the Tamron AF18-200mm XR Di II ƒ/3.5-6.3, is billed as the world’s lightest, most compact 11.1x zoom made for DSLR cameras at just 14 ounces and only 3.3 inches long. Incredibly, the Tamron 18-250mm XR Di II ƒ/3.5-6.3 lens is the same exact length and still weighs under one pound at 14.8oz and provides an amazing 13.9x zoom range.

All-in-one zooms provide other advantages. As they may be used at a variety of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto, they encourage the photographer to seriously determine the correct composition at point of shoot. Any cropping occurs in the viewfinder, not on the computer screen. They allow photographers to create some lens flexibility to their stable of lenses at a reasonable price. Even for those on a tight budget, it’s possible to apply lens ranges way beyond the kit lens that came with your camera. Also if you own more than one DSLR brand, you can provide each system with a versatile all-in-one zoom and still put food on the table.

All-in-one zoom lenses aren’t limitation free. Except from some noteworthy exclusions, they’re not for use with 35mm film SLR cameras. They are too small to cover the 35mm film sensor and designed specifically to cover the smaller digital imager.


Also, as with many newer zoom lenses, the aperture changes as you zoom out. At 18mm, a typical all-in-one zoom lens has a maximum aperture of ƒ/3.5, but at 200mm it has increased to ƒ/6.3. This means that 1, A smaller aperture means longer exposure times. and 2, even outdoors where shutter speed is not as much of a factor, a smaller lens opening translates into a darker viewfinder.

As with any long telephoto zoom lens, you need a tripod or a steady support to shoot at shutter speeds slower than 1⁄500 sec. when you zoom out to the maximum focal length slight camera movement is exaggerated and magnified and may cause images to appear blurred. You can offset this phenomenon by using a faster shutter speed. This may require increasing the camera’s ISO setting. A DSLR camera with built-in image stabilization, like the Olympus E520 or one of the Sony Alpha models, will minimize camera shake. With other cameras, use a tripod or other form of support for low-light telephoto shots.

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