Manual Focus Lenses Forum

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I have had the old preset T-mount Tamron model 680 (ca. 1962) in both Soligor and Tamron brands for some time. But I never had the full kit as originally sold, with the matched TC.

Last two have the assembled lens beside the original Converto Tamron 4.5/135 of 1958.

This 135 lens was apparently usually sold as a set with a matched teleconverter, just like the original Converto-Tamron. Its obviously an attempt at upgrading the original and quite successful product. It was also designed to use the then-new standard T-mounts; the model 680 seems to have been one of the first T-mount lenses.

I have documented the basic model 680 before, here I just want to comment on the teleconverter. Some oddities - It is a T-mount TC, it can only be used with T-mount lenses. Its actually a 1.67x TC, but max aperture is just f/5.5 as marked on both the TC and the dual aperture scale on the lens. One would expect a 1.67x TC on an f/2.8 lens to give a max aperture of f/4.7, not 5.5. The max aperture has been deliberately limited in this, I suspect to maintain decent performance at all apertures. The original Converto Tamron did not require this aperture limitation, but then the basic lens was just an f/4.5.

In use, its a bit of an awkward combination. It is of course impossible to use this with any other non-T-mount lens, so one needs to bring along another TC for other lenses if one wants a TC for them. As TC's go, its huge. The combination is quite long and heavy for what it is, I have plenty of 200mm lenses that are smaller and lighter. As usual with a TC, effective minimum focus of the combination is much improved over what would be a fixed prime, so its a good alternative as a close-focus lens, without the hassle of extension rings. I find this one is perfect for flowers because of the focal length and close focus.

Performance is quite good really. The limited maximum aperture, probably, makes wide-open performance exceptional for a TC (still not great, but usable). Stopped down to f/8 its as sharp as I can use on my 6 megapixel Pentax. No problem with flare or contrast. An excellent choice for walking in a garden.

The bird -

crop -

Bruce · Expire: 2014-11-22

Why they call Boston <----> San Fransico twin city's beats me?

luisalegria, want some snow? Laughing

your the only one posting flowers beginning of January
KEEP THEM COMING!

Mike Deep · Joined: 25 Oct 2008 Posts: 433 Location: Upstate New York

Hey - That's not the bird! What are you trying to pull here? Laughing

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

My children would dearly like some snow; in San Francisco thats a once-a-decade event. I have to take them skiing again one of these days.

I'm "on vacation", so I'm not near my usual friends at the pier. I'm afraid the humble pigeon will have to suffice today.

Seele · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 746 Location: Sydney Australia

I had one of these kits marked "Hanimex-Tamron Twin-Tele", and then found an original box in which they were sold but it was not the one which matched the lens, marked just "Tamron". The velvet-lined box housed the lens and the converter separately, with a separate spot for the T-mount, indicating that it was sold as a complete outfit. The box was made out of poor quality cardboard and basically disintegrated, so I took it apart, built a replica one from quality boards, and then had the original cover and innards put back on: bookbinding skills can come in useful at times! It was then sold to a collector as a complete kit - who admitted that he wanted the box more than the lenses!