Tamron 80-210mm f3.8-4 Macro Zoom

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

Focus on the beak looks ok but I think I missed the top of the head.

Otherwise it looks like a very good lens to me.

Seems to be very good at F8.

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

Some better images are here.

http://www.parabellumfoto.com/tamron-macro-zoom-80-210mm-f3-8-4-model-103a/

One thing that's very noticeable is the fringing when shooting in direct sunlight. Macro is quite good.

My eyesight plays up so the above example is not a good one. The cockatoo is out of focus quite badly when I look at it now. I'll post a much better sample.

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

It could be sharper but I think it's me that had focus out slightly.

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Tamron 80-210mm f/3.8-4 Tele-Macro 1981 by Nesster, on Flickr

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

Ah, cracking stuff. Back in the days when nipples sold gear.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

What, they don't now? Cool

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

Another image.

http://imgembed.com/embed/657439/-/226/1d6

This time the image is sharp. I'm getting used to the lens and really beginning to like it. The only problem is the CA, which I am also learning to deal with by avoiding direct sunlight on the subject.

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

Starting to get used to this lens and beginning to really like it a lot! Laughing

I also found an old thread started by Luis. Superb images there as well - http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-103a-80-210-3-8-4-zoom-excellent-value-t15971,highlight,%2Btamron+%2B103a.html Cool

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

These days I'm using this lens a lot.

A Rainbow Lorikeet eating nectar from a Flame Tree

Aside from noise reduction, this is straight out of the camera. Exposure is slightly out I think (over exposed).

It resolves quite well on a 24mp camera.

Oldhand · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:57 pm Post subject:

Not too shabby at all.
You are really getting the hang of that lens.
We don't get rainbow lorikeets here but they do in town only 20km away - strange.
Thanks for sharing
OH

parabellumfoto · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 413 Location: Sydney, Australia

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

For those who own or have owned this 103A lens and use it with adapters, I have a question....

I recently lucked on one of these for $10. And it appears to be in excellent condition. Besides a slightly loose slider barrel, it shows no sign of wear. The glass is clean and clear. The AD2 adapter is a Nikon Ai mount.

I have a Nikon F/Ai mount adapter for Sony NEX E-mount.
When I tried some shots with this lens, it's producing horrible results. Not the sharp and saturated photos and videos I've seen this lens can yield.
I'm pretty disappointed.

Observations after more controlled tests with a tripod, it can't focus to infinity from what I can detect. All shots are out of focus and VERY difficult to lock on focus even with peaking and focus magnification. For a zoom with such travel of the focus barrel, the littlest nudge either degree and the image way out of focus.

Do I have a bad copy? Or is the adapter not compatible? The same adapter with a Vivitar(Komine) 135mm f/2.8 prime is very sharp and colorful and contrasty.

Any ideas? If it's a bad lens, I'd hate to spend more money on a AD2-E mount adapter to try it again without the Nikon mount.

TIA!

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

I have a very clean copy of the 103A I picked up at a 2nd hand store for $20 a few years ago. My experiences with mine is it has always been an above-average performer. And I think that you'll find similar experiences here if you do a search on it.

Based on your description, it sounds to me as if something has come loose on the inside of your lens. You mention some play in the zoom collar. I'm not sure that this would be indicative of your problem. Most likely it will be something internal. I've had a couple of Tamron zooms come apart internally -- a 60-300 SP and an 80-200 SP. In both situations, the results were similar to what you describe. I don't remember the specifics to the 60-300 anymore -- it was over 20 years ago -- but the 80-200 has been fairly recent. And its problems occurred in stages. At first I noticed that it wouldn't focus to infinity anymore and then I saw where an internal element group had come loose inside. It's worth noting, however, that I didn't notice anything amiss between these two points. That is, after it had lost infinity focus, but before the insides came loose, I could see nothing amiss when performing a visual inspection of the lens. Nonetheless, I'd start by giving it a close internal inspection -- see if it doesn't uncover anything.

I doubt seriously you're having any sort of adapter issue with that lens.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I had a very nice Tamron SP 28-135 that felt a bit lumpy when I first moved the focus / zoom sleeve, it was the change of direction that seemed to have the lump - once moving it was fine.
But then it jammed solid, no way would the sleeve move. And of course, being unable to move the sleeve I couldn't get it apart to try and fix it - without resorting to brutality. Realizing that repair looked unlikely, and the lens cost me �5, I forced the sleeve off and found that a small screw with a plastic roller, one of maybe 10 or 12, that slid in the slots of the focus / zoom sleeve had fallen off and dropped deeper inside the mechanism. I couldn't get it out any way at all so I just stripped the lens to see how it worked.
If you have a Tamron that has the lumpy feel when you change direction it might be worth peeling the rubber grip back and you will see the screws and rollers. If there's a loose one , tighten it up and lock the thread with a tiny drop of nail varnish. It might just save a disaster.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1304 Location: Conwy N Wales

Shake the lens. Loose elements will rattle.

I have a dodgy 103A too but that's because of incompetent diy (not me Confused

) No infinity focus (only to ~ 10m) but otherwise pics are sharp.

I think in general the 103A's are pretty good when used for close focus pics like those posted but when I have compared with other lenses like the 46A, kiron 70-210mm zoomlock, VS1's on distant focus the 103A disappointed. And that's several example of the lens.
103A's are so common a fiver is realistic target price inc post.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Thank you gentlemen for your quick responses.

I took off the adaptall mount and gave it a light shake. There is a rattle coming from the inside of the lens.
I suspect something has come loose as suggested.
Plan to open it up and see what I can find. Should be fun in a sadistic sort of way. Wink

I have another vintage zoom to try, a Kiron f/4 with Zoomlock, for OM-mount. Adapter ordered!
So, I have a fallback to use.

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1304 Location: Conwy N Wales

PhantomLord · Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 476 Location: Szczecin, Poland

Hi,

Tamron 103A I had was pretty good lens, however I sold it when I compared it with my Vivitar Series 1 70-210/3.5 which was better.
Here are a few photos I attached to the auction when I was selling the lens: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXrdona (those are full-size JPGs, so you could judge by yourself true performance by this lens).

When I bought the lens it had some fungus on the internal elements. Actually disassembly a few first lenses from front is really easy. Before you start full disassembly of the lens, maybe try to get into it from the front lens. Just unscrew the front ring that has two slots for that job, as I remember correctly you could then unscrew the front element of the lens and you will be able to unscrew another group of lenses (I have used two thin pencils for that job Wink

). I could be messing something up since I've done it (cleaned from fungus) both 103A and 46A and I'm not sure which one was which, but with both of them it was very easy to get into first 3-6 lenses.

However, if you're going to disassemble the lens completely, remember to make a lot of photos Very Happy

. I obviously forgot about it while I dismantled completely two Vivitars Series 1 70-210 (Kiron Version and Tokina Version) but for those lenses I found some instructions, schematics and so on that were great help. There's no disassembly manual for Tamron 103A that I know of, so be careful and remember about photos and marking everything you could on the lens.

As for Kiron f/4 zoom lock, I had Kiron 80-200 f/4 without zoomlock and it was great lens. It was better in my opinion than Pentax-M 80-200 f/4.5 that I had at the same time, but truth to be told this Pentax-M had a little bit of fungus (which I cleaned later on). I always wonder about this zoom lock feature that seems to be utterly useful with push-pull zooms.

Good luck with your lens Tia.

Cheers
Mateusz

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

PhantomLord · Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 476 Location: Szczecin, Poland

As for bad luck with vintage lenses... well to be frankly honest, most lenses I buy with a little of bargain price are suffering from some sort of problems. I must say I usually clean the lens or get it's aperture moving again so usually I'm getting a bargain price + 1-3 hours of work Smile

.
I'm sorry for your Vivitar S1 28-90/2.8-3.5 but I'm sort of understand you. The first copy I bought was described as in pristine condition, but actually it suffered from glass separation issue and it couldn't be repaired. It didn't affect quality too much, but after I bought another copy (v.good this time) I found that difference could be easily seen. Maybe you could try clean the aperture out of oil if you haven't already sold it? I often receive part refunds when I point out to the seller the lens is not as described. Two times sellers refunded me the whole price and said that didn't want the lens since postage costs are too big in accordance to lens's price. In the end I cleaned the lenses and was pretty happy to get them actually for free, apart from the work I put into getting it right.

I had several lenses with stuck aperture and as most of them were primes and were pretty easy to clean, I also had a Kiron 28-85 lens which I took apart as aperture was jammed with oil. It took me a few hours, I lost ball from the aperture ring (as usual Wink

) but the end result was fully functioning lens.
To be honest I had 3 copies of Vivitar Series 1 70-210 Kiron and 1 Tokina version and only one of them was Olympus OM mount, which I preferred and which I left for me. It also has a spot of fungus near the edge of the front lens, but remembering how time and work consuming was disassembly and putting back together another version (with Nikon mount) I put this work for later on.

A few days ago I bought very cheaply another copy of Viv S1 70-210 Kiron in Nikon mount for purpose of sale, but I think I will compare my OM mount version with a little bit of fungus with this Nikon - absolutely clean copy and if Nikon ver. will be better I'll just try to swap the mounts and see if that works.

If you're planning to do some disassembly in future, a word of advice, just leave one rubbish lens to be a parts donor Wink

. I'm always trying to work slowly and put all bits and pieces into holders, but almost always I loose a screw or a ball from aperture ring and then donor lens is showing it's use.

Cheers
Mateusz

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

So did you return the Vivitar 28-90? That is an excellent lens. I've shot many, many slides with the one I owned in C/FD mount. I now own one in Nikon mount. If memory serves, you can approach the aperture blades through the rear of the lens. Dismantle the mount and the rear group should unscrew, which should uncover the aperture blades. I've cleaned them in situ before with cotton swabs and naphtha or alcohol. One of the easier repairs to do, actually.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Ditto on easy repairs of stuck apertures.
Usually a simple job even on zooms as the elements behind the aperture tend to be fixed and can be unscrewed easily.
Lighter fluid is magic. Also sometimes use graphite lube.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Mateusz, Michael, and Luis,

Yes, I expect a certain level of wear and trouble when hunting for old lenses, but the ebay duds were advertised as pristine, and or excellent. One pays accordingly for that, like samples from shops. But I understand the average person who inherits these or finds them aren't experts.

I contacted the seller of the 28-90mm f 2.8-3.5, and I could do as I please with the bad lens. She didn't see the point to be charged for shipping a 'brick' back to her. I will try to take this one apart as well. I noticed upon closer inspection it does have some oily spots on the inner side of one of the front elements.

I'm awaiting a Kiron 28-105 f3.5-4 with MD mount as a substitute. But I read the 28-90 is a better performer. Even with its stuck blades and spots, the few test shots look sharp and color rendition is lovely.
So, it's worth trying to salvage it. Thanks for the tips and advice on getting started, guys!

And since this is a Tamron 103A thread.....here is a shot of what I get on average. It was hand-held, 210mm, late afternoon light, f8 or 11. Sony had focus peaking and magnification enabled. With a tripod, I can do better, but nothing tack sharp. If closed down to 22 or 32, the shots are sharp(er), but ISO is 3200 and shutter set slow.

I liked how this shot looked in an artsy soft-focus way. So, the colors are boosted here.

Tamron 80-210mm f/3.8-4 103A by WNG555, on Flickr

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Thanks, no rush on it, I probably won't get to touch these lenses till after the holidays.

BTW, that shot on the camera boom is superb.