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Tamron SP 52A, 70-210mm
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 2:49 am    Post subject: Tamron SP 52A, 70-210mm Reply with quote
First, I want to say I am deeply conflicted about this lens. It is my first Adaptall SP, my first manual zoom, and my first macro lens. As you can see, it is fully capable of producing excellent results, but it takes a lot of work. Post processing is almost a must and takes a lot of time to get it just right. I suppose it is like your first love. When you are with her, you see all of her faults; yet when you are apart, you miss closeness and feel nostalgic about it all the time.

Absolutely not the sharpest lens I have, not the longest I have, or the best macro I own. Yet, there is something indefinably charming about it. It feels nice in the hand, with that 80ish Japanese quality, the focus is long and smooth. Pictures are definitely on the soft side, yet I often get those dreamy quality not seen in very sharp lenses. I think this is one of those lens I will never sell.

I must had too much to drink tonight. Embarassed For your grins and chuckles.




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PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for posting! I bought this lenses after reading about its supposed benefits over a similar Vivitar lens.

You are right about the lens sharpness, its not going to draw attention but the lens is surprisingly well corrected of aberrations. The continuous close focusing is also a blessing!


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
FotoPete wrote:
Thanks for posting! I bought this lenses after reading about its supposed benefits over a similar Vivitar lens.

You are right about the lens sharpness, its not going to draw attention but the lens is surprisingly well corrected of aberrations. The continuous close focusing is also a blessing!


I note this as well. This is a few lens from the era where aberration is a none-issue. Sharpness is also better shooting close by objects (which is what this lens is designed to do). I find it interesting the adaptall-2.org review goes on length about how this lens is designed to shoot at macro range then turns around testing resolution at a distant target. I think this lens is much better than what test charts makes it out to be. One thing I hate about this lens has nothing to do with its native design. The focal length of 210 means I can no longer use my speedlite for fill in since I have to lock the speed at 1/350 or so.


PostPosted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have and love this lens too:
No CA at all!
Very good macro-function!
Superb build-quality...
For all items that are not so far away I prefer this lens even over my primes with these focal lengths.


PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The lens is really pretty decent. I took some more shots a few days back and here are the results.


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PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Paul wrote:
I have and love this lens too:
No CA at all!


Oh, I see LoCA in several shots.

First set:

#3 red fringing on the box border, green fringing on the top of the decoration edges
#4 green fringing top left
#5 green fringing on the petal on the upper left

Second set:

#2 green outline around the King's contour.


All these are very nice images but the CA flaws of the lens are hard to hide. I now expect this behavior from any adaptall-2 lens - in fact, it seems to be the distinguishing feature of this lens line. Even the ED element in the 80-200/2.8 lens is not able to eliminate this problem. I like these lenses very much for their build and features (aperture range, macro capabilities), but their LoCA annoys me every time I mount one on a camera.

Pentax/Takumar lenses also have LoCA, but it is a bit better controlled than in the adaptalls. I wonder whether it is a Japanese lens design issue, but I have not used Olympus/Canon/Nikon lenses from that era to know if they share this characteristic. I did use some older Vivitar lenses that fared better in this area, but they were more of an exception.


PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have got my Tam 19AH 70-210 3.5 recently. I love the colors but it's a bit soft wide open and there are so many CA on the shots! May be I've got a bad copy. Well overall it is not bad but... there are so many admire posts about those Tams so I've had some other expectations. It surely doesn't shine on my 5DII. Your Tam 52 shots look fairly good though. Now thinking about having a good 135 and 180-200 instead or pay more and get Contax 80-200.


PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laurentiu Cristofor wrote:
Paul wrote:
I have and love this lens too:
No CA at all!


Oh, I see LoCA in several shots.

First set:

#3 red fringing on the box border, green fringing on the top of the decoration edges
#4 green fringing top left
#5 green fringing on the petal on the upper left

Second set:

#2 green outline around the King's contour.


All these are very nice images but the CA flaws of the lens are hard to hide. I now expect this behavior from any adaptall-2 lens - in fact, it seems to be the distinguishing feature of this lens line. Even the ED element in the 80-200/2.8 lens is not able to eliminate this problem. I like these lenses very much for their build and features (aperture range, macro capabilities), but their LoCA annoys me every time I mount one on a camera.

Pentax/Takumar lenses also have LoCA, but it is a bit better controlled than in the adaptalls. I wonder whether it is a Japanese lens design issue, but I have not used Olympus/Canon/Nikon lenses from that era to know if they share this characteristic. I did use some older Vivitar lenses that fared better in this area, but they were more of an exception.


I agree with this. But comparing to 60-300, which is from the same era, it should be defined as well controlled. Smile


PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
this lens is somehow controversial. I also have one and sometimes it's great and sometimes poor. See for yourselves. Most of these samples are at 210mm and wide-open. CA almost none, very well controlled.






70mm

same place 210mm





PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
drjs wrote:

But comparing to 60-300, which is from the same era, it should be defined as well controlled. Smile


My 60-300 is average in terms of CA control. The best adaptall-2 that I used were the 90 macro and the 80-200. Worst seemed to be the 300. This is strictly speaking in terms of CA, of course.

I have shots from the 60-300 where CA is on similar level with what I see in these 70-210 photos. I was actually surprised how low CA were with it given that it is a zoom and doesn't have much of a reputation. I don't want to side track this thread by mixing samples from different lenses, but you can check this link for samples from my copy. I would use the 60-300 more if it were not for its size and weight and push-pull handling.

Last edited by Laurentiu Cristofor on Sun May 19, 2013 9:19 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Laurentiu Cristofor wrote:
drjs wrote:

But comparing to 60-300, which is from the same era, it should be defined as well controlled. Smile


My 60-300 is average in terms of CA control. The best adaptall-2 that I used were the 90 macro and the 80-200. Worst seemed to be the 300. This is strictly speaking in terms of CA, of course.....


Do you have the 5.6/300?
if yes:which version? There are at least 2.... I have the latest SP version and no reasons for complains...


PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had this 70-210 F3.5 lens for a brief while but I got rid of it because there was something I didn't like about it.
Damn if I can remember what the problem was though... Oh well...


PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Paul wrote:

Do you have the 5.6/300?
if yes:which version? There are at least 2.... I have the latest SP version and no reasons for complains...


I only know of one SP version - the 54B. Here are my samples from it.
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