Tamron 18-200 XR DI II or Canon 28-200 for 20D

I am looking at these two lens. The Tamron was recommended to me via a third
party. It is 100 bucks cheaper than the Canon, and has a wider range.
However, the Canon is not limited to only smaller digital sensors, the
Tamron says not for use with larger sensors.
Tamron = 399
Canon = 479

I am not a brand follower, so that part does not matter to me. I am more
interested in picture quality, all things being equal. I am leaning more to
the Canon, because I can use that on larger sensors in the future if I ever
get one. However, if the Tamron takes noticeable better images, then I will
go that route.

Can anyone offer some comparisons of the two, mainly likes or dislikes.
Again, I am not concerned with the brand or religious wars.

Thanks so much.

 

I can't offer a comparison but was not impressed with the Tamron
18-200 when I tested it.

Do you really need such a range in one lens?

The other thing is that the Canon lens only goes to 28mm and
on the 20D will not be very wide.

-Mike

 

I suggest looking at the Sigma 18-200 too. It seems to be a bit better
performer then the Tamron 18-200 and is the same price.

 

I can't offer comparisons because like you, I care about image quality
first and foremost.

There's a reason the best glass does not have such a dramatic zoom
range. It's very difficult to design and build a lense that can cover
that range and give sharp, high contrast images. It can be done, but it
costs a LOT more than $399...trust me.

If you want the wide angle and the telephoto ranges, and you also want
high quality images, then you need a minimum of two lenses. One to cover
the wide end, like a 17-40 f/4 L, and for the long end, a 70-200 f/4 L.

These are just two examples since I have these lenses and I can attest
to their high performance. They cost a fair bit more than $399 too, but
they are definitely worth it for sharp, high quality images.

You can go with cheaper 18-55 and 75-300 lenses and still get fair
quality, better than the 18-200 range would give you I think.

As for brand wars, I don't think I'm a fanatic, but I definitely prefer
Canon over Tamron, Sigma, or Tokina for various reasons. Basically I've
never been overly impressed with the third-party lenses. I may be more
critical than the average joe though, so it's all relative...