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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 6627
Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:55 am Post subject: Tamron 103A 80-210/3.8-4 Zoom - Excellent Value ! |
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luisalegria wrote:
I picked this up for the usual nominal sum. It came complete with original case, caps, hood, PK mount, and even its papers !
Nice hood. Plastic, but seems sturdy.
This is one of the most common Tamron lenses, a 1980's best seller.
I have the older 03A also, which is very similar externally -
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-cf-80-210-3-8-4-adaptall2-the-cheapest-adaptall-t12928,highlight,tamron+80210.html
The 103A lacks the built-in hood, which is just as well as that wasn't very good.
As far as construction and design, this is a very typical Tamron of the era, all straight lines and lots of engraving all over. This one, like the 03A, is built quite loose and "creeps" all the time, and keeps slipping out of the long end (which I like to use) to the short end. Maybe I'm just rigid-minded, but I would like a lens to stay where I set it.
Like its predecessor the 03A the ergonomics of this are superb, it is easy and natural to zoom and focus, the relatively large aperture makes focusing quick and accurate (I got all the sharp "the bird" shots I wanted right off). It is very light compared to anything in its class, other than the plastic lenses of the 1990's.
It is of course a "close-focus" lens, and unlike the 1970's style of "close focus", this one, like the 03A, does so continuously from infinity for all focal length settings. At 200mm it focuses under 1 meter, which is excellent for "flower" shots.
Performance is excellent I think, even wide open it is in the class of any 200mm prime I have tried, being at the limit of my sensor. What more can I say ? This thing is great and is often available very cheap. It has to be one of the best lens bargains there is.
The bird -
crop -
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I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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LucisPictor
Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 17633
Location: Oberhessen, Germany / Maidstone ('95-'96)
Expire: 2013-12-03
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:40 am Post subject: |
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LucisPictor wrote:
I once had this lens and I agree, it is great value for money, since you can find it for low prices.
It is pretty fast for a zoom of that range but it really shines when stopped down in sunny weather. The huge hood prevents flares well.
Why did I sell it? Because I had too many tele zooms of that range, including the Tamron 19AH and my beloved monster lens Soligor 3.5/70-220.
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Jieffe
Joined: 04 Nov 2007
Posts: 754
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:01 am Post subject: |
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Jieffe wrote:
Most of the time, they are sold for the price of the Adaptall mount and probably never used ... a real shame  |
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ManualFocus-G
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 6624
Location: United Kingdom
Expire: 2014-11-24
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:16 am Post subject: |
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ManualFocus-G wrote:
One of my all time favourite lenses!
<edited>
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Last edited by ManualFocus-G on Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jieffe
Joined: 04 Nov 2007
Posts: 754
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Jieffe wrote:
| Shrek wrote: |
| One of my all time favourite lenses! |
Mine too !
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GrahamNR17
Joined: 17 Jan 2009
Posts: 1855
Location: Norfolk, UK
Expire: 2012-09-06
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:02 am Post subject: |
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GrahamNR17 wrote:
Great lens  I have the 03A and love it, it's never turned in a bad result so far.
These Tamrons are some of the all-time under-valued lenses. Long may it continue so others can experience the joy of them  |
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Farside
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 6549
Location: Ireland
Expire: 2013-12-27
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Farside wrote:
Ah yes, the unsung hero of 80s trombone zooms, that one. They sold thousands of them and ebay prices are such that everybody should pick one up - typically less than a tenner.
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Gus Helios
Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 144
Location: Cali
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Gus Helios wrote:
Hi luisalegria,
That is a great series of shots showing what this lens can do... best bang for the buck zoom out there IMO. And those photos prove it!
I got mine thrown in with a adaptor purchase I think, and immediately was blown away by it. Sharp as a long zoomer and pretty great close-up lens also.
I work in SF and shoot pentax too... Nice to see another SF mflense shooter.
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Nothing a shot a jack and some George Jones can't fix - Gus |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 57849
Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
It's clearly shows your talent how do you catch lights and your Pentax camera power. This lens is not this good...  I have it too in both version.
Congrats for this beautiful pictures!
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Xpres
Joined: 11 Dec 2007
Posts: 964
Location: UK
Expire: 2014-10-28
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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Xpres wrote:
One of my favourite 'value' lenses too. I've had three that came with mounts and have kept the best one. More than anything it is very easy to use and one of the easiest to focus with an 4/3 viewfinder.
Punches well above it's weight I think.
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who
Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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who wrote:
I'm very pleased to see such high quality images from this lens. I'm waiting on a delivery from ebay £4 including delivery.
It was described as having some dust. How easy is this lens to open and clean? At the price I suppose that it shouldn't matter, I'll see what it looks like when it arrives. |
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karabud
Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Posts: 843
Location: Lodz
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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karabud wrote:
Nice ! |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 57849
Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
| who wrote: |
I'm very pleased to see such high quality images from this lens. I'm waiting on a delivery from ebay £4 including delivery.
It was described as having some dust. How easy is this lens to open and clean? At the price I suppose that it shouldn't matter, I'll see what it looks like when it arrives. |
Don't clean! It is not impact picture quality at all. Cleaning minimum remove coating and open a zoom lens and rebuild again not a hobby photographer task we should left that for professionals.
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Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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who
Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:36 am Post subject: |
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who wrote:
| Attila wrote: |
| Don't clean! It is not impact picture quality at all. Cleaning minimum remove coating and open a zoom lens and rebuild again not a hobby photographer task we should left that for professionals. |
Fair enough - thanks for the warning. |
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estudleon
Joined: 15 May 2008
Posts: 3754
Location: Argentina
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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estudleon wrote:
| Attila wrote: |
| who wrote: |
I'm very pleased to see such high quality images from this lens. I'm waiting on a delivery from ebay £4 including delivery.
It was described as having some dust. How easy is this lens to open and clean? At the price I suppose that it shouldn't matter, I'll see what it looks like when it arrives. |
Don't clean! It is not impact picture quality at all. Cleaning minimum remove coating and open a zoom lens and rebuild again not a hobby photographer task we should left that for professionals. |
I agree 
I have the pieces of a cheap prinz 70-150. My children used them to play with 
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CZJ: 4/20, 2,4/35, 1,8/50 aus jena, 3,5/135MC, Pentacon 1,8/50
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Leica R3 electronic summicron 2/50 elmarit 2,8/35
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Nikkormat FTn 1,4/50, 2,8/135
Fujica ST 801, 605, 705n. 3,5/19, 1,4/50, 1,8/55, 4/85, 3,5/135.
Praktica MTL 5 and a lot of M42 lenses.
Voigtlander. Bessamatic m, bessamatix de luxe, bessamatic cs, ultramatic and ultramatic cs.
Skoparex 3,5/35, skopagon 2/40, skopar 2,8/50, skopar X 2,8/50, super lanthar (out of catalogue) 2,8/50, dinarex 3,4/90, dinarex 4,8/100, super dinarex 4/135, super dinarex 4/200, zoomar 2,8/36-83, portrait lens 0, 1 and 2. Curtagon 4/28 and 2,8/35
Canon AV1, 1,8/50
Rolleiflex SL35 and SL35 E. 2,8/35 angulon, 2,8/35 distagon, 1,4/55 rolleinar, 1,8/50 planar, 4/135 tessar, 2,8/135 rolleinar, x2 rollei, M42 to rollei adap.
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