Tamron 95-205/6.3 - The Ford Model "T" of Zooms !

[luisalegria]

This Tamron Model 910P was the first of a horde of consumer zooms.



In the early days of 35mm zooms, one had professional equipment and/or very expensive curiosities made by some of the highest quality makers in the business, Kilfitt, Voigtlander, Nikon, etc. The humble photo-hobbyist or down-market professionals wouldn't have been a market for such costly and exotic toys.

This Tamron was the first cheap, mass produced item that made zooms something the common man could consider buying, even if it was just something of a gimmick. By the late 1970's almost every new SLR was equipped with a zoom and many millions were made. Now they inhabit garage sales and thrift shops, and of course ebay.

This model first came out in 1961 - my copy here was made in 1963 I believe, based on the JCS sticker. This is not a difficult lens to find, its clear that Tamron sold quite a lot of them.

It is designed with economy in mind, lightly built and cheaply finished in plain flat paint in the "zebra" style of the day. But it includes all the features of the first generation of consumer zooms that would be copied by the Japanese third party makers in the next decade, Tokina, Kiron, Komine, Sun, and of course Tamron, among so many others, all of which went on to make much better products. Its classic layout, close focus capability (4 ft-1.5m) and other design elements are identical to many later zooms. Its a preset, and its maximum aperture is a paltry f/6.3, but, well, the first of anything isn't likely to be the best.

It is, however, one up on most of the early zooms - its a "one-touch", not a "two-touch" - you pull on the focus ring to zoom. This became standard only by the late 1970's.

I haven't done the usual round with this yet, but its obvious just shooting around the house that its a pretty dreadful lens, by conventional standards. Soft, with all kinds of aberrations, you name it, its got some fault in that category. I suppose I will presently add some more dreadful pictures. As I said above, when this was new it was more of a novelty than a serious lens.

All wide-open at f/6.3, which may be unfair to this thing.








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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.

[Attila]

Nice presentation! Impressive , many thanks!
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Folder cameras: Konishiroku Pearl, Bessa RF Heliar,Bessa I Color-Skopar,Ercona II Tessar,Franka III Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar
[color=black][b]35mm rangefinderKonica III,Bessa L,Yashica Electro GN,Canonette QL 17
35mm SLRKonica FM,Konica FP,Konica FT-1,Konica FC-1,Konica TC4,Nikon FA,Exakta VarexIIa,Fujica ST801
Carl Zeiss Jena:Flektogon 2.8/20mm,4/25mm,2.4/35,2.8/65mm,4.5/4cm Tessar, 8/500mm Fernobjektiv
Pancolar 1.4/55mm,1.8/50mm,1.8/80mm,Tessar 2.8/50mm,Biotar 2/58mm,1.5/75mm,1.5/7,5cm
Carl Zeiss: Sonnar 2.8/135,2.8/180mm,Tessar 4/135mm
Nikon:2.8/20mm, 2.8/28mm,1.4/35mm,1.4/50mm,2/50mm,1.8/85mm,2/85mm,2.8/135mm
Pentax: Pentax 1.2/50mm,1.8/85mm,4/200mm
Helios: Helios-40 1.5/8,5cm,Helios-44-1 2/58mm,Helios-44-2 2/58mm
Olympus OM: 3.5/18mm,3.5/21mm,3.5/55mm macro,2/90mm macro,35-70mm
Meyer: 4.5/35mm Primagon,Primoplan 1.9/58mm,1.9/75mm,2.8/100mm,Orestegor 2.8/135mm,4.5/40 Helioplan
Leica: 4/100 Macro
Konica:21mm f4, 28mm f3.5,35mm f2.8,50mm f1.4,57mm f1.2,85mm f1.8,100mm f2.8,135mm f3.5,135mm f3.2,200mm f3.5,4/300mm,40cm f4.5
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[Richard_D]

I rather like the abberations in the third shot
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Richard

The interesting bit:

Nikkors: 20mm f2.8 AIS, 24mm f2.8 AIS, 28mm f2.8 AIS, 35mm f2 AIS, 50mm f1.4 AI, 50mm f1.48AI, 50m f2 AI,
55mm f3.5 AI'd, 105mm f4 AI, 135mm f2.8 AI'd, 135mm f3.5 AI'd, 200mm f4 AI'd .
Nikon E Series: 100mm f2.8 .
Soviet Nikon Mount: Zenitar 16mm f2.8, Arsat/arax/photex 85mm T&S f2.8 .
Other: Asahi Super Takumar 55 mm f2 (M42) ,Tamron 300mm f5.6 SP, Tamron 500mm f8 SP.

DSLR: Nikon D700. 35mm SLRsNikon FE, Pentax S1a.
TLR: Rolliecord II.
Sub-Minature: Pentax Auto 110, 18mm f2.8, 24mm f2.8, 50mm f2.8.

More to come...

[luisalegria]

I took the time to clean this lens up a bit, and take it out for a more thorough try.

I have to reverse my opinion of its quality - its really a very competent, sharp performer, and not at all just a curiosity. It does compare well with even 1970's zooms, within the limits of my cameras sensor. The only fault I can see is that contrast is rather low.

Most of these were shot on a dull and foggy day.











The bird -



crop -


_________________
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.