luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 6602 Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:37 am Post subject: Tamron Adaptamatic 200/4.5 - A rare Tamron ? |
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luisalegria wrote:
Many thanks to Bill (Casualcollector), who found this for me in a thrift shop, a Tamron Adaptamatic model FO-45Au -
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.tamron.co.jp/data/old-lens/lm200f4_5.htm
L - 200/4.5 R - 200/3.5 - Its a great deal smaller in every way than the 200/3.5
This is a rather rare member of the Tamron Adaptamatic family. The one Bill found is certainly the only one I have seen. The owner of the Adaptall site had not found one either.
Its easy to understand why this was made. At the time there was a demand for smaller 200mm's. The early automatic 200/3.5's tended to be very large things, usually fitted with tripod mounts. It seems that every manufacturer in the early 1970's introduced a smaller 200mm. I suppose this was the Tamron entry.
Its easy to understand why there were few sold. There has always been a feature or specification-contest in the camera business. In its time the competing automatic lenses were 200/4's and 200/3.5's, a 4.5 must have seemed like an old-fashioned thing. And in spite of its relatively small size compared to the Adaptamatic 200/3.5, its still larger than the Takumar or Yashinon 200/4's. So, on paper, not very attractive. In reality, this is an excellent piece of equipment.
As a lens, it shares all construction details with the other Adaptamatics, and is similarly well-made and superbly finished. It also shared the simple helical mechanism of the other Adaptamatic tele's, the front barrel rotates. The only distinguishing feature, other than size, is the sliding hood has some odd rings at the end that do not appear on any other Adaptamatic. They must have been intended for some function, because they do somewhat spoil the clean lines of its design. It focuses rather close for a compact 200mm, 6ft/2m, which is better than pretty much all the competition in the compact 200mm category of the day.
It is a very good performer. Its not quite sharp as my sensor can distinguish at f4.5, but its close, and has no problems with flare or contrast. I wouldn't say its a Takumar, but I would have a hard time telling the difference. Like most of the Adaptamatics it is easy and pleasant to use on the DSLR, hitting focus immediately.
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. |
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Wormhandler
Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 106 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Wormhandler wrote:
Congratulations on that nice gift. I have never seen this one either, and I thught I had at least spotted all of the adaptamatics at one time or another. Maybe there are more hidden treasure out there.
/ Jan _________________
Those which I use:
Carl Zeiss Jena:Tessar 5cm 3,5 Tessar 2,8 50mm (3 versions), Sonnar 135mm 3,5, Tessar 135mm 4,5 (Compur), Flektogon 35mm 2,4, Sonnar 180mm 2,8, Sonnar 300mm 4
Cosina Voigtländer:125mm 2,5 Macro APO Lanthar.
Enna Werk Munchen:Tele-zoom 85-250mm
Ernst Leitz Wetzlar:Voort 90mm 4, Hektor 135mm 4,5
Helios:Helios 44-4 (& 44-2) 58mm 2
Industar:Industar 5cm 3,5, Industar-22 5cm 3,5-rangefinder
Isco Göttingen:Tele Westanar 180mm 4
Meyer Optik Görlitz:Lydith 30mm 3,5, Domiplan 50mm 2,8, Primotar 50 3,5, Orestor 135mm 2,8, Telemegor 150 5,5, Telemegor 180mm 5,5, Orestegor 200mm 4 Telemegor 400mm 5,6.
Mir:Mir 1B 37mm 2,8
Nikon:
Nikkor 35 1.4, Nikkor 85 2, Series E 35mm 2,5, Nikkor 35mm 2, Micro Nikkor 55mm 2,8, Series E 100mm 2,8, Nikkor 135m 2,8, Zoom-Nikkor 35-105mm.
Olympus:F-Zuiko Auto-S 50mm 1.8 (m42), E-zuiko Auto-T 135mm 2,5 (m42), Zuiko 85mm 2 MC (OM)
Panagor (Same as vivitar i Guess):28mm 2,5, 200mm 3,5
Pentacon29mm 2,8, 50mm 1,8, 135mm 2,8
Pentax:Auto takumar 35mm 3.5
SMC-takumar 28 3.5, SMC-Takumar 50mm 1.4, SMC-takumar 135mm 3.5, Takumar (bayonet) 135mm 2.5,Takumar 500mm 4
SMC M 35mm 3.5, SMC M 40 2.8, SMC M 50mm 2, SMC M 50mm 1.7, SMC A 50mm 2, SMC M 100 2.8, SMC M 100mm 4 Macro, SMC M 135mm 3,5 SMC M 200mm 4, SMC M 80-200mm 4,5
Shacht af Ulm:Edixa travenar 50mm 2,8, Edixa Travenar 135mm 3,5
Schneider KreuznachXenar 50mm 3,5, Xenar 50mm 2,8, Radionar 80mm 2,9 (Folder), Radionar 10,5cm 4,5 (Folder), Tele-Xenar 135mm 3,5, Symmar 150mm 5,6, Tele-Xenar 200mm 5,5.
Soligor:100-300mm 5 C/D.
Steinheil:Actinar 10,5cm 4,5 (Prontor)
Tamron:Adaptall2 28mm 2.5, Adaptall2 35-70 3.5, Auto Tamron 28 2.8, Auto.tamron 105 2.5, Auto-tamron 135 2.8, Auto Tamron 200 3.5, Auto Tamron 300 5.6 Tamron SP 70-210 3.5-4
Tokyo Koki:Tele-Tokina 135mm 2.8, Tele-Tokina 135mm 3.5 (brand kennex), Tele-Tokina 300 5.5.
Vivitar:Series 1 70-210 (Kiron)
Yashica:
Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm 1.7, Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm 2, Yashica ML 50mm 1.7, Yashica ML 50mm 2 |
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