Reddit mentions of Tamron Auto Focus 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC PZD All-In-One Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR, Model BOO8E Filter Size 062mm

From one of my earlier comments:

I purchased a refurb from Amazon of the Tamron 28-75 2.8 for $280: http://smile.amazon.com/Tamron-28-75mm-Aspherical-Canon-Digital/dp/B0000A1G05/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451844612&sr=8-1&keywords=tamron+28-75

The first one I got was a dud and I had to return it. The second one is amazing though, reasonably light, very sharp, good depth of field. Some slight vignetting when using with my full-frame 6D. Also about 1k cheaper than Canon's 24-70.

If you have Amazon prime, its pretty easy to test what Lenses you want and you can return the ones you don't want. I dont have one but this could be a good place to start: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FLJVXM/sr=8-1/qid=1451844871/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1451844871&sr=8-1 It'll get you super wide shoots of landscapes, or you can zoom in to capture a distant object (ie birds), and anything in between.

I have a Canon Rebel T3 with the stock Canon 18-55 lens and a cheap add-on 75-300 lens. I'm looking for an upgrade in the sub 1k dollar range, preferably sub $800. I would like an 18-150+ focal range so I can get close up and longer shots without switching lenses. I like taking pictures with a shallow depth of field so a wide F-stop range would be helpful, but it's not necessary. Any recommendations?

I've found these two on Amazon. Are they any good?

Tamron Auto Focus 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC PZD All-In-One Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR, Model BOO8E Filter Size 062mm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FLJVXM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1STDYCZB5J90P&colid=22F9N3TTSQKAG

Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM Lens for Canon
https://www.amazon.com/Sigma-18-300mm-F3-5-6-3-Contemporary-Macro/dp/B00NJ9K52W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496329482&sr=8-2&keywords=sigma+18-300+canon

I'm thinking about buying a new lens for my girlfriend's T3 Canon camera. (I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject so I may not use the right terms)

We currently have the basic 18-55 mm lens, and it also came with a 55-250 mm lens. Later, bought a 10-22 mm lens. We've been on a few trips with these three (Asia and South America) and we've been happy with them.

Recently, we were thinking that it would be nice to have a better lens for zooming. Always switching between the 18-55 mm and the 55-250 mm to take pictures of landscapes and then to zoom on something is kind of annoying, and we always have to carry an extra lens with us when we're trying to limit the weight in our backpacks.

I was wondering if lenses like the 18-270 mm lens (the one I see is made by Tamron, https://www.amazon.ca/Tamron-104B008E-18-270mm-3-5-6-3-Aspherical/dp/B004FLJVXM/ref=sr_1_8?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1474641402&sr=1-8&keywords=dslr+lenses) would be a good lens. I'm under the impression that since it tries to do both standard and telescopic zooms, it's going to sacrifice a bit of quality in both, unlike lenses that focus solely on telescopic or standard zoom. Am I right in thinking that?

That 18-270 mm lens would be in the right price range for me and it wouldn't be too heavy when we go on a trip, but I'm worried that the pictures it would take wouldn't be as beautiful as the ones we take with our 18-55 and 55-250 lenses.

Also, would anyone have recommendations for lenses that would be a good compromise between a standard and a telescopic zoom? Ideally, I'd like it to be less than $500.

Thank you for the help!