Tamron adaptall SP 70-210mm 52A - a bit of a cinderella?

[marcusBMG]

This lens does tend I think to be overlooked in favour of other lenses like the SP 70-210mm 19AH, the SP 60-300mm 23A, vivitar series 1's and others. It hasn't really acquired any "rap" as a "good" lens and is easily acquired very cheaply. I recently acquired a minty example of this lens and have been taking it out to get a better impression of it.
It didn't do too well in my vintage 70-210mm tamron vs vivitar test. Revisiting those test pics I note again that it's behind many or most of the other lenses on the images that most discriminated between the lenses: the landscape pic of the castle at 70mm, the close focus images of the banknote. One image it showed well on was the castle turret at 210mm where it was one of the best. The banknote close focus was particularly disappointing IMO because that's 52A's USP: close focus to 1:2! It's also the only 2 ring zoom in my test, and tamrons only 2 ring SP adaptall (the 1st gen adaptalls 85-210mm, 85-250mm, 70-150mm and the latters successor the 02A were also 2 ring). More info here.

So I've been looking for close focus opportunities particularly.


Crop:


Biking along the cycle path on the estuary shore I noticed I was startling a good few butterflies, so I hopped off the bike to have a look. It was all a bit hit-and-miss, the butterflies were quite co-operative but the breeze was wafting flower and butterfly around all the time. These are a couple of the best efforts with the 52A, lens at or near 210mm, f11, K3 (lesser tortoiseshell).







For comparison I also took some pics with a 52BB 90mm macro, these of a painted lady.







To a large extent the conditions (handheld, subject movement in the breeze) have levelled things I think but nevertheless I think 52A is showing some good results.
To be continued...

[55]

[e6filmuser]

This was the second lens I bought for my Canon A1 in the 1980s. It was rarely off my camera for images such as those shown by the OP.

[cooltouch]

Cool piece. I wouldn't mind adding one to my Tamron SP collection one day.

[marcusBMG]

I took an evening stroll to check out the butterflies again, this time with my samsung NX20 for a different look, especially re focus. Also a monopod. These 52A's btw are easily fitted with a tripod mount without hindering focus or zoom, unlike the 23A, 19AH... The cheap c. 66mm ID ones off ebay are ideal, use a bit of packing like cardboard. I mod mine to make a permanent fit see here.

The butterflies were rather shy this time but I did get a few shots, this was probably the best effort - f8.

[jamaeolus]

No those excellent images can't be from a vintage zoom. They all suck. I read it somewhere. KIDDING. There are excellent vintage zooms that can be purchased for less than the cost of a 6 pack of beer.

[luisalegria]

This does quite well as a close focus lens for 3D objects.
And it seems almost as versatile as the 23A SP 60-300
Jack of all (or many) trades.

[kansalliskala]

I got mine as an accessory with an Adaptall-PK mount. Both 20 euros.

[GoldMark]

[poilu]

[marcusBMG]

This time a co-operative darter provided the close focus pics opportunity. The competition/comparison for the 52A is provided by a 60-300mm 23A - even better close focus (to 1:1.55) but achieved quite differently (built in extension tube, max macro @ 60mm focal length).







The 23A did produce some sharper pics, but it had the advantages of much greater depth of field (and easier focus) from 60mm focal length and bigger crop because I didn't move particularly closer to the darter (I was using a bean bag perched on my binocs):




I also took some pics of some ?fake bees (entomologists ahoy...), all 52A.




This one linked to full sized image.

[marcusBMG]

I spent a wee while trying to photograph some flies but most turned out front focussed. I think I used LV with this one. This is 1:1 pixel peep crop, f11.



Back at the ranch I set up a tripod to control things more and get a better idea of the iq ceiling. Prefocussed, remote shutter cable. it ws therefore a bit hit and miss if I caught the bees in the plane of focus. Zoom just shy of 210mm, focus just shy of 1:2 cfd, f11.







For comparison I took a few images with the vaunted vivitar 105mm (kiron) macro at f8, similar macro ratio.




I'm ready to draw a conclusion and suggest that 52A has earned its spurs as a practical, economy 200mm 1:2 macro! In practical circumstances it's movement, light, shake, focus etc that limits the iq. The Viv 105mm shows more resolution and detail than 52A, but you have to work to realise that. With 52A you can maintain twice as much distance from the subject as with the Viv.