Tamron SP 90 / 2.5 Macro. ( Model 52BB )

[Lloydy]

I got this lens a while ago in a bag of Olympus gear and thought "that might be OK?" There was a bit of fungus on one of the rear elements but it was still usable, and when I tried it, it blew me away! I loved it.
So I carefully took the two rear elements out and placed them on a cloth on the table in the order they came out and the front of the elements facing down. Then I had to go to the toilet. As I stood up my bad knee gave way and I damn nearly tipped the whole table up. But luckily, nothing fell off, and it all looked OK. So I settled back down, cleaned the bad element with cold cream and it came up perfect. I was happy, and reassembled the lens.
Then I discovered I couldn't get infinity. So I left it, but I kept thinking about this great lens and wanting it working again. Last night I found the optical layout on the internet, quickly took the elements out and put them back in correctly. And I'm so glad I did, it's a lens with a very good reputation, and today I found out why.

None of these are sharpened or cropped, I think I've adjusted the levels on them all slightly, but nothing much.









This is a great lens, I'll be using this one a great deal. The 90mm length is perfect on the NEX, I haven't tried it on the Pentax K10 yet but I expect it will be as good. I'm just so happy that I've saved it.

[martinsmith99]

Nice! The flower shot in particular.

I've got the 52B (which I think is the same optically) and it's as sharp as I need at 5.6 and smaller. The bokeh is pleasing IMO too.

[visualopsins]

You make it look good on NEX!

[diddy]

very beautiful pictures! Yes, this Tamron lens is one of the best!

[diddy]

very beautiful pictures! Yes, this Tamron lens is one of the best!

[izvar]

Good!
and good not only for macro

[ZoneV]

In some cases the 52B model shows hotspots (something like bright iris formed spot or bigger area).
I read the 53BB is only a cosmetic update, so it could have the same.

But still, I think it is a good macro lens, and its mount system is a great invention.

[Lloydy]

Yes, this lens has the hotspot. But you can see it as you take the picture - certainly on the NEX - and slightly re composing usually gets rid of it. Apparently it's the flat rear element reflecting, which wasn't a problem when I had the wrong element at the back!

I haven't got the Tamron X2 teleconverter ( which I've seen for about £40 so I'll get one ) but I have got a selection of other7 element one that I'll try, and extension tubes. Having the Adaptall mounts for Olympus, Pentax, Canon, Minolta and Rollei is good!

I forgot to mention that all those pictures are hand held and it was very windy, the snowdrops and the leaves were flapping about a lot.

[martinsmith99]

[kendo1]

I have the 52B, nice lens.
I've never noticed a hotspot.

[hoanpham]

Beautiful.

[Lloydy]

Under provocation the lens did produce a hotspot, but I was trying to get it so I could see what it was and how to get rid of it.

The sun was behind / left of the clock tower and in some cloud, this first shot was wide open at 2.5, 1/400 and ISO800


This one was stopped right down at 22, 1/4000 and still at ISO800


I noticed it on another picture I tried to take that was more or less straight into the sun, but I took one step to the side and it was gone.

[dnas]

Here is the hotspot(this image is in a darkish room, with sun on the background curtain):

It usually requires strong back lighting to be clearly seen. It is more evident as you stop down, as the reflected spot presents more contrast between light and dark.

At F11


At F16


At F32


At less than F11, the spot is more dispersed, meaning that it affects the contrast of the whole image.

[dnas]

[Lloydy]

That's interesting, I thought it would be worse wide open. I have looked at the second picture and done everything I can in Photoshop to see if there is any trace of the hot spot but there is none, but as you say it could well be bleached out by the high exposure in the tree line.

I just found this one as well, the sun was just behind the edge of the cloud, left of center and just out of shot, I have no idea what aperture it was. The hot spot does appear to be central every time ?


crop, this shows the total burn out of the hot spot, this is way past a bit of over exposure.


I suppose this is the price to pay with a flat rear element and a highly reflective sensor. I wonder what it would be like with film? I shal try it tomorrow, I've got a few frames left on some colour film in the OM1.
As long as I know this is a characteristic of the lens I can live it, the lens is far too good to not use because of this.[/quote]

[OPAL]

I guess, the optical design of the TAMRON is used also at the time from other lens manufacturers too! I have an ELICAR V-HQ MACRO MC 90mm f/2,5 with an additional achromatic lens which gives me an total of M: 2:1 macro! The lens is excellent at close-up distances, but needs for quality infinity distance shots an stop-down of the f/stop. The lens is especially designed for close-ups! I have this very solid made glass for over 20 years, and using it today successfully on my Canon 5DMkII!

[Arminius]

I spoke to a technician at intro2000 and he said that they(Tamron) never called for the rearward correction element to have coating, as the lens was designed more for difused lighting and close work!

Hence the reflective abberation, but I would never get rid of mine!



p.s. the terms stated above are verbatim and I do not know which element is the 'rearward correction' one!

[visualopsins]

[cooltouch]

Interesting explanaition, Arminius. I wonder how accurate it is, though. I was told some years back that the hot spot was due to the outer surface of the rear element being perfectly flat. Not sure how accurate that explanation is, either. All I can say about it is I can't think of a single instance where the lens was exhibiting enough of a hotspot for it to detract from the shot. So yeah, you can set things up so it looks pretty bad, but it isn't very often when you're gonna come across these types of situations, I guess.

So anyway, I have the earlier version -- the 52B -- and I just love it. I have a collection of macro lenses and a while back I did a comparison on three of mine, and published the results here at the forum, I'm pretty sure. They're also at my blog. Here's a link to the comparison at my blog: http://michaelmcbroom.com/blogistan/?p=56

My favorite macro lens based on my comparison was the Tamron 90mm. It was just a consistently good performer, especially on the edges.

Since I conducted that test, I've added at least two more macro lenses to my collection: a Pentax SMC Tak 100mm f/4 with shade, in minty condition, and a Canon FD 100mm f/4, also in very nice shape. The Tak came with a clean set of auto extension tubes and the Canon came with an FD50 extension tube. I don't have any experience with either optic, but I've heard that the Canon 100/4 FD is excellent. Maybe it's time for me to put together another macro test.

[Lloydy]

Two shots from today, the suns reflection was very bright on the wet road, and was streaming through the trees more or less directly in front of me. I've taken this shot before with a Helios 44M, a long time ago, got a decent picture. Trying it with a 90 lens looked like a good option, and once processed I think I'll have a decent image.
Both shots are untouched other than resize, shot at ISO800 and 1/250. The one with the blue spot is stopped down, probably f11, maybe f16? and the other one, although it has flare it has no blue spot, is probably f4. I was altering the aperture as the sun was going behind fast moving cloud.




I've run the good one through Photoshop and tried all kinds of things to see it the blue spot is there, and I have to say that I don't think it is.
I took a few other shots to provoke the blue spot as it is easy to see on the NEX screen, and it is most apparent when stopped down. But....
I took this, one of a series of about 10 shots of this sculpture from the same viewpoint with the bright sun directly in the shot, and I don't think the blue spot showed up, there is flare and all manner - but I think its the normal flare that would be expected from any lens in these circumstances, the aperture didn't provoke the blue spot, it just changed the style of the flare. The blue spot is circular, this flare shows the shape of the aperture, so I think it is different.




The blue spot is a nuisance, but it doesn't really detract from the overall performance of this lens. The blue spot can be worked around, once you know what situations provoke it and make it worse, and at best it can be PP'd out. I found that a small change of viewpoint and opening the lens up generally prevented it.

It's a fabulous lens, I got some really good shots with it today that I will add to this topic to show it's good side, which is very good.

[Alternate Internet ID]

I don't really favour long lenses and 90mm is as long as I go (crop sensor), but I'd go as far as to say the Tamron is my favourite MF lens.
Everything is just right about it - weight, balance, output etc.
Apart from the odd hotspot obviously.

[Attila]

I had all version from this lens I did love them , low priced excellent performer lenses and compatible with all 35mm system what else need ? I sold them due I have others in this focal length what I like better, but I recommend these lenses as well.

[RAART]