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Any experience on Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adatpall-2 04B
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:45 am    Post subject: Any experience on Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adatpall-2 04B Reply with quote

I recently on a rampage in getting a couple of adaptall-2 lens, I wonder if any forum member has experience with the Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 04B. It is a small lens for a 200mm prime, I have few product shots to share:







From left to right




The 200mm is quite compact in size and it appeals to me the most in its compact short length and size. How good is the Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 04B? I hope it is as good as the zoom experience that I have with Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A or my most favorite Tamon SP 80-200mm f/2.8 adaptall-2 30A

Thanks,
Hin


Last edited by hintheman on Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:51 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That Lentar is a Tokina, from the first Tokina automatic lens series.

It doesn't have an M/A switch ? Thats surprising.

That old Tokina is particularly large for a 200mm. The Tamron 200mm's, all the way back to the first Tamron preset version, are all much smaller.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:52 am    Post subject: Re: Any experience on Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adatpall-2 04A Reply with quote

hintheman wrote:
How good is the Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 04A?

I have this lens and I don't find it exceptional. I mean it's quite understandable that this lens is not at its best when used wide open, but it is quite disappointing that it's not tack sharp at F/8 either Crying or Very sad.

In fact, it's much more difficult to find a good 200mm than a good 135mm (like the Tamron 135/2.5, which is an excellent lens) and good 200mm lenses tend to be quite expensive.

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a lot of good 200mm's, perhaps I have been lucky.

Or maybe I have low standards.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
I have a lot of good 200mm's, perhaps I have been lucky.

Or maybe I have low standards.

It's just you have the talent to crank out gorgeous pictures out of any mediocre lens!

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

***In fact, it's much more difficult to find a good 200mm than a good 135mm (like the Tamron 135/2.5, which is an excellent lens) and good 200mm lenses tend to be quite expensive.***

You could be right......I bought a Canon FD 200mm f4 and found after many tests, that some of my zooms can equal it for sharpness, 3d or bokeh.

So guess which lens I carry around just for a small increase in weight and size.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn172/chakrata/cankiron200mm.jpg


PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have not seriously tested the Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 04a yet. My impressions may be in line with the assessment that it may not be an outstanding 200mm. But I think it is still an above average performer. The best about the lens is the size, form factor like a 100mm and it also has a built-in lens hood. I like the focusing ring. As a matter of fact, I pretty much like most of the adaptall-2 design in the focusing and zoom rings.


It is quite true that it is harder to find a good 200mm. It is an odd focal length to like in the aps-c camera. It is not long enough for birding and it is too long for portrait after the crop factor.


I have gotten few other 200mm prime in m42 and Pentax K-mount. Out of the few, I favor the Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 by Komine with serial # starting in 28.



That lens come in K-mount, m42 and perhaps others. It is NOT the best but it is a decent performer and one can usually get it for $25 to $80. I sold mine a while ago trying to find a better 200mm with f/2.8. I should have kept it to compare with the Tamron adaptall-2.


After the Komine, I did seek a Soligor 200mm f/2.8 made by Tokina but darn it, it is not the C/D version that I seek. It is better than the Komine when I tried it. Wide open is kind of soft. When combined with a Kiron 2x mutliplier, that 200mm did quite well for me for a cheapo 400mm f/5.6 tele lens choices in m42 mount. In hindsight, I should have kept the Soligor more so than the Komine 200mm. But the crazy habit goes with less quilt in selling one before trying something new.



Soligor 200mm f/2.8 by Tokina next to
Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 by Komine

A memorable picture from the Soligor 200mm f/2.8 and Kiron 2x Multiplier

heavily cropped






heavily cropped



My quest for the better and hopefully faster 200mm keeps going. I hope I can run into a Soligor 200mm f/2.8 C/D or a Tamron SP 180mm f/2.8 adaptall-2.

Thanks,
Hin


PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I tested the Tamron 200mm adaptall-2 (04B) this weekend. It is not bad. Sharpness can be better but this tamron adaptall-2 prime impresses me the most on its small size like a 100mm prime and the handling is easy for focusing. The built-in lens hood, though a bit small, is usable and add value. I think it equals or even beats easily my experience with the Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 by Komine. More tests will be needed to tell one from the other. I am not a pixel peeper person so do read my opinions with grain of salt.

Some snapshots with Pentax K20D

1/100 sec, f/3.5, 200mm, iso 2500, 0 Ev
It is dim light in the church and the high ISO is not in favor to
the wide open shot. In my view, not bad at all but it can be better.




1/100 sec, f/4.5, 200mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev
The singer move on stage and quite taxing to the speed
The high ISO at 3200 is not the best with detail with Pentax K20D,
given the odds, f/4.5 does pretty well for sharpness in the eye.
Again, it can be better, but not much complaint for a $40-90 prime




1/800 sec, f/5.6, 200mm, iso 100, -0.7 Ev
I purposely underexpose the shot and up the contrast in pp
some flare, maybe in noon time, but color is reasonable





1/100 sec, f/4.5, 200mm, iso 125, 0 Ev
Close up is difficult with minimum focusing distance at about 1.7m
color and contrast quite good in normal use, sharpness can be better


What do you all think? I think of it quite good for a first test. I like it the best in ease of handling with small size like a 100mm. It is a prime that I like for its small form factor with a great focusing ring. Sharpness can be better but not bad even in indoor usage.

Hin


Last edited by hintheman on Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:51 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

***I tested the Tamron 200mm adaptall-2 (04A) this weekend. It is not bad. Sharpness can be better but this tamron adaptall-2 prime impresses me the most on its small size like a 100mm prime and the handling is easy for focusing. The built-in lens hood, though a bit small, is usable and add value. I think it equals or even beats easily my experience with the Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 by Komine. More tests will be needed to tell one from the other. I am not a pixel peeper person so do read my opinions with grain of salt.****

Your results are interesting also for anyone searching on google. So I'm not going to bother with either of these primes (well I will probably put a 99p bid in now and again on Ebay) as they are probably on par with a Canon fdn 200mm f4..and I can get similar results from some cheap zooms.

some more e.g. of my tests

Canon 200mm f4
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn172/chakrata/can200mm.jpg

Kiron 80-200mm f4 @ 200mm
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn172/chakrata/kiron80-200.jpg


PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the inputs. What do you think of the lens in seeing the test images so far. I think it is better than my experience with Vivitar 200mm f/3.5 by Komine. In some way it beats the Soligor 200mm f/2.8 in M42 auto-only lens that I had before especially in the handling and form factor. The soligor 200mm f/2.8 (non-C/D) version need fixing as it is auto-only mount and it has wobbling with M42 adapter on my K20D due to uneven surface and weight in the rear end.

But sharpness can be a bit better but I can't fault the lens in terms of ease of handling. I'm somewhat disappointed with the close up experience. As the lens has the wording on "Closeup" and I thought it will do something better than what I tried with other adaptall zoom lens. Btw, I paid mine for about $90 with shipping. Mine is in really good shape, close to mint. I would imagine a manageable bid from $t0 to $100. I would not buy this prime if over $125 without an adapter.

Two more test shots

1/100 sec, f/4.0, 200mm, iso 1600, 0 Ev


1/100 sec, f/4.0, 200mm, iso 3200, 0 Ev



It may be true that a 70-210mm zoom in the 200mm focal length will get very close in performance to this adaptall=2 prime but I doubt if any zoom in f/3.5 will be of this small size like a 100mm prime.

Thanks,
Hin