Is this Tamron Adaptall SP 500 f8 malfunctioning?

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

This lens is very hard to keep still, even on a tripod with cable release...the mirror slap is enough to knock it! Also, which tripod mount is the user screwing onto the tripod? I found it almost impossible to get a steady shot on APS-C when using the lens mount and had to resort to using the camera mount instead. Even then it is difficult to get sharp shots unless using a high shutter speed. Perhaps that is the next test?

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

Can he take some handheld shots? Those tripod images are terrible...I never use a tripod with my Mirror.This is the Tamron 55BB

This is at infinity handheld...some heat haze and camera shake,I don't use infinity much when using this lense
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This is the range I like for the Tamron close up to mid distance.These are not the best samples but I hope it can show something from a lens that I consider is working properly.

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sammo · Joined: 04 Jan 2012 Posts: 223 Location: CH and SI

I haven't seen the video as I couldn't opet it, but the images look to me as they are blured because of shaking. I know from experience when shooting through 1200mm or even more (telescopes) the mouth/tripod has to be very heavy to compensate the vibrations caused by the mirror release...and I mean VEEERY heavy!

I would suggest the buyer to take a test photo not on a tripod, but to just put the camera on something more stable, as a table, window shelf or something similar where he can ge an object to focus at.

Arkku · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1416 Location: Helsinki, Finland

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

I rather say user error. I use this lens with pentax bodies, IBIS activated, iso 1600-3200 hand held, with good results. DOF is very thin in all distances. Closer distance, near MfD, it is ok with 1/400 Ibis on, hand held. Near infinity you need 1/2000 or faster and keep the gear stable some how. Ibis may help a little bit, but i used to shot several frames each scene. Focus throw is little at longer distance and therefore very hard to use.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

What exactly does he complain about? Is it the difficulty of getting sharp focus or is it the jumpy image as he focusses? Both could be caused by mirror movement or some other fault inside the lens. I don't have this lens, but Mo's pictures look a lot better than at any focus setting in the video.

I think I'd be inclined to ask him to return it and pay for the return postage myself. If the lens is indeed faulty then you at least retain good feedback and you get a chance to inspect it properly and have it repaired if you want. If not, you have to take the risk of getting a better price if you sell it again.

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

I think that there is more than enough data to see the trend. I will tell the story.

When the lens arrived, the user said that it was impossible for him to get focus. He then said that the back element where the filters are placed was a bit loose and needed to be screwed from the outside (15 sec), and after that the lens improved.

When I cleaned it with a LensPen before sending I didn't notice anything weird in that part but I decided to trust him. I can do mistakes after all, maybe that part was loose, I remember that the attachable Skylight filter that was placed in there was hard to remove, so maybe I made something loose without realizing: my fault.

Then after that little inconvenience of the loose piece, he sent me the video linked on this thread claiming that it was still malfunctioning.

I omitted my thoughts about that this video wasn't conclusive for me and I decided to trust him and take responsibility. After all there was allegedly a loose part, why couldn't be two?

After saying that I wanted him to immediately stop trying to service the lens, because it can lead to a even bigger problem, I offered three options to him:

-A return covering myself the shipping back and forth, and letting him to keep an Hexanon 40 f1.8 that I sold him for 9€ to help with the shipping costs.
-To pay the servicing if he wanted to keep it.
-Considering that i thought that the malfunction was minor, I offered a refund of 50-60€ and letting him decide if he wants to try to fix it himself or with that money, but that money would have bought my fault exemption.

He said that he looked after one of these for so long and that he wanted to service it at my expense. In every moment I thought that if this lens was faulty it should be something very very minor, so I had a thought that if the service was charging little i would compensate him with an extra 20€ refund, for the caused by me inconveniences.

So the visits: the first technician was his habitual service center. The guy opened the lens and he said that it was complicated to continue disassembling, he decided to close the lens back again without charging. The technician said that until the point that he arrived he didn't see anything loose or weird. He also gave us the information that the cemented elements were right.

So I deduced that this technician had no clue about how to fix mirror lenses, and then I looked for a more skilled lab. At this point I reaffirmed to the buyer that I was covering everything, even if they charged something for examination. No need to say that I was covering shipping back and forth, letting him keep the Hexanon 40 for 9€ and a little fee for the inconveniences.

My thought here was that the fault was mirror decollimation and it just needed to be adjusted. Being the most important issues already discarded (cementation and mechanical).

And then is when the battle begins, I received a message saying that the second lab technician measured the lens in an optical bench as 100% flawless even without beginning a disassembly but:

The buyer said that he would prove the lens again in one or two days and then he would decide if he gives it me back at my expense. I answered that what was that prove necessary for if it has been benched an performing at 100%? I said that the new test was only valid to him for checking if the lens fulfills his expectations, and that no return at my expense was possible at this point and for that reason, because the lens was proved to be flawless, and it wasn't even proved that the lens was faulty before beginning the service visiting round.

The guy does video, and I think that he wanted it for filming. It was weird for me that a guy wanting to get through the pain of visit service shops for fixing a lens, suddenly has it fixed as he wanted, but then backs down and doesn't want it anymore. I obviously thought that the lens didn't meet his expectations. And looking at the video it seems perfectly logical for me to think like that.

He claimed that the first technician maybe fixed it without realizing, that his video (and the stills taken when recording) obviously show that the lens wasn't working properly, and that because he doesn't know which the problem was, is, or if it will appear again in the future, he wanted to return it at my expense or a guarantee. And the point is, a guarantee of what? no issue has been found. Should i guarantee a 30 year old lens? Even if I should, against which fault? We all know what we buy when we buy this kind of legacy staff.

My answer was that the prove presented was inconclusive, and that on that point for me it looked obvious that there is no technical problem, and maybe it never was, so I asked for a video on the same conditions than this one in the thread showing improvement, now that the lens is fully performing it should be easy. The answer was to get angry "you have no right to doubt from me", "I have not to prove anything anyways but...".

I offered him to keep it and I will pay back him 20€, covering the piece that allegedly was loose, those 20€ are a big percentile of an hypothetical future reparation.

Thanks to this thread, I also offered a return of both this lens and the Hexanon, shipping back and forth at his expense. It was seen as an insult (55€).

I opened this thread to find unbiased data of how the presented prove was, in anticipation of his future movements, because sooner or later he will start defamating me on the other forum.

Thanks for everything.

PS: BTW, is mandatory on this lens to be using one of the 4 provided filters? if the lens can't be used without we have one more source of problems.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Next time, you should take it back, no other options. Buyer that opens the lens will lose any return rights.
Test the item throughly, take a lot of photos regarding cosmetics. Buyer also need to cover the return shipping himself, as all other mailorder customers. Until the item arrives safely in your hand, it is the buyer responsible.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

I really think that it is possible to do videos with this lens in other conditions with other equipment.

I just think that the problem is that the video is not conclusive enough by itself, it looks like there is no dampening enough. Every time he focuses the frame moves. This added to the spontaneous selfixing theory is what makes me doubt.

But I think that I will offer him a limited 3 month guarantee to see if I can forget the problem. I don't want to lose more time with this.

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

About this lens. I own 55B and it is very good. It is sharp.
In his video, looking at the first "metal chimney" it seems the lens is not sharp. But it would have been better to try to focus on the brick wall behind.
Looking at the statues, depth of field is very short when we shoot at this distance. It seems that it is better but not at all at the level of my lens.
I'm wondering what is his camera. Do you know ?

Speaking about sharpness, here are some of my samples on 5D MkII. Full frame sensor and the high quality of the viewfinder helps a lot.
To see bigger size, click on pictures to open in new window.

short distance :
1/500s - iso 400 - handheld

1/60s - iso 1600 - monopod

medium distance :
1/1250s - iso 200 - tripod

long distance :
1/250s - iso 800 - handheld

1/2000s - iso 800 - handheld

I tried a quick video with my 5D Mk2 handheld. It's very shaky ! But IQ is sharp.
In your buyer's video, it's like there is some haze.
But again, what is its camera and what are the results when he shoots photographies ?

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Here is a video made with this Tamron SP 500 F8 mounted on 5D MkII :
http://vimeo.com/37477351
In HD and you can enlarge it.

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

Hey Olivier, can you share more data about the setup?

It looks like an 5d2 + tamron.

I Would like to know the focusing distance, the behaviour of the setup just the first moments after you focus (time to gain stability, if any), and which tripod setup (weight).

What that video clearly proves is that if done well it can be used for video on the 5d2 with excellent results.

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Tom in Delaware · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 42 Location: Delaware, USA