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Tamron 35-70 f/3.5 CF Macro...Cheap
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:05 am    Post subject: Tamron 35-70 f/3.5 CF Macro...Cheap Reply with quote
As you know, I hate zoom lenses.
But I am also an instinct-driven photographer. The same instinct (or subtle perception) that lets me tell one lens from another in blind tests, also drives me in buying new lenses when a certain "bell" rings.

A few weeks ago I saw a photo from Bill taken with this lens, and the bell rang immediately. The lens was cheap on Ebay (the equivalent of 16.50 Euros) so I bought it from the USA. I didn't even have to pay customs fees as the price was so low.

This morning at dawn I tried it, all wide open (it was dark and rainy). And well my instinct was right, the lens has a great bokeh and great colours, not like usual Tamrons, actually quite different, it is not (at least wide open, don't know when stopped) as sharp as some of the Tamrons I see posted here.

These samples I took tell me of a lens with a lot of "atmosphere" to it. Sure there is horrendous geometrical distortion (did I tell you already that I hate zooms?).
But I will not shoot architecture with this one anyway.
The lens also renders a quite remarkable "3D effect", not as much as Zeiss lenses, but damn close. I never saw this much 3D effect in a non-zeiss lens like this, except for some Leicas and a few Russians (especially the MIR-24M).

One thing that tells something about me: for about half an hour I played with this lens and never thought or felt the need of moving the focal lengh control. I photographed everything at the preset lenght of 70mm. In my mind, the zoom concept was totally alien.
This tells a story about how much I am distant now from the use of zoom lenses: when I have one on, I use it like a fixed prime Laughing














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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio, I'm glad you finally got this lens! Same one as my new thread in
the gallery. How do you like the colors? Almost Flektogon-like, at least
to me, with nice saturation.

I like all these shots, very nice, even the building shot is a keeper, (hey,
I'd keep it!)

Though not SP-rated, my old eyes can't tell the difference between this
lens and the SP 35-80mm, and this lens has almost an inch closer
focusing.

Congrats!

Bill


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Orio, I'm glad you finally got this lens! Same one as my new thread in
the gallery. How do you like the colors? Almost Flektogon-like, at least
to me, with nice saturation.


Yes, colours were a nice surprise with this lens, as my other Tamron (a 28mm f/2.5) is very sharp but has pale, "japanese-lens" colours.
These are almost German-Like.

Quote:
I like all these shots, very nice, even the building shot is a keeper, (hey,
I'd keep it!)


I love the atmosphere of the rain and yellow lights, but the rendering of the buildings at the right cries for revenge. An army of Flektogons and Distagons is getting ready to make the justice flag rise again over the land! Laughing

Quote:
Though not SP-rated, my old eyes can't tell the difference between this lens and the SP 35-80mm, and this lens has almost an inch closer
focusing.


Well, I don't have the other lens, so I can not compare. But I like this one. Although at the thought that I have one more zoom in my collection, I get the creeps
Evil or Very Mad Laughing

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What a pleasant surprise for you Orio. I find zooms have a place, but will always prefer a prime. Have you seen the samples of the Kiron 28-85? that is another sit up and look lens.


patrickh


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats, Orio!. It's a nice lens at a very affordable price. I always keep an eye on them, it's one of my targets...

Best regards,
Jes.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
patrickh wrote:
What a pleasant surprise for you Orio. I find zooms have a place, but will always prefer a prime.


I am less generous than you, and for me zooms will never have a place except for work duties.
Look, this is a wide open sample taken with the 5D (previous images were taken with the 400D):



Now for me, I can live with the lack of sharpness wide open, but the above barrel distortion and the lack of definition in the corners are completely unacceptable in my photography.

And the problem is, not only this cheap zoom does this, but also many of the expensive ones, perhaps less dramatically or just subtly, but no one of them will be perfect. Or they may get near perfect on one end, and less on the other, because this is in the nature of zooms, you can not optimize them for all focal lenghts.

Well I don't want to live with such compromises. Let alone when this means to spend hundreds if not thousands on contemporary AF zooms. This lens was a caprice and such will remain. All my serious money will go only into manual focus primes.

I read that the Contax zooms are of a superior league, and near in performance to their prime lenses. I admit to be very curious about them. but when I have to fork out 400 or more Euros for them, I always find a prime lens that is more worthy of that investment. So I doubt I'll ever end up getting one.

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Colors look very good!

I have this lens too, paid only 10€ and it came with a case Razz

I like it because it's very small and has a good macro. Tamron 35-135mm is also very good zoom...


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:

Now for me, I can live with the lack of sharpness wide open, but the above barrel distortion and the lack of definition in the corners are completely unacceptable in my photography.


I can see that, that picture doesn't even look yours. We have been so used to see perfect corners Smile


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had this on my FE several years back, and sold it because of the issues you point out. The 80-210 Tamron I've still got somewhere because that was a far better performer (although ssshhh Embarassed I don't really use since I bought a used 80-200 AF ED 2.Cool. I haven't bothered buying manual focus zooms - zoom design technology has advanced a lot and there haven't been many manual zooms introduced in the last few years. Prime design hasn't advanced, the build quality has just got worse (in general!) so for older lenses primes make a lot more sense, plus I like using them.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I collected almost all Tamron SP and some non sp zooms as well, they are performed very well on Nikon D50, but not same good on Olympus E-1. I am planning to sell all Tamron zooms or trade with any members. On Olympus E-1 Olympus OM zooms perform very well like any prime.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
I can see that, that picture doesn't even look yours

Yes it really awful & I understand why Orio doesn't put his copyright's on it Laughing

It look like a very nice little lens. 5 cm length and 330g and very nice rendition. I would look for it if I didn't have the contax 35-70
The sp 28-80 have less than 1% distortion but more vignetting


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio, I'm sorry you have such disappointing results. The bokeh on both
the Tammies, 35-80 and this 35-70 are far from ideal. I've used both
lenses primarily for closeups, fish pics, and the like. The black angus
cattle shot is the only time to try for a big picture and it was stopped
down to f8 or so, and cropped a little on the sides.

Bill


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Orio, I'm sorry you have such disappointing results.
Bill


I'm not disappointed. The lens has some nice features. But wide open on a full frame, it's near to rubbish. Once you know this, you can use it to your advantage in the areas where it works well. Of course this reasoning is possible because the lens costed 16 Euros. If it costed 160, it would have been a major waste. For 16 Euros today you can barely go out and eat something in Italy given the prices of the restaurants.

It's really a lens for cropped sensor cameras. On such camera, and decently stopped down, it can deliver good results closeup. It can be a nice lens to carry around where you would not take your best lenses, and where you still would need some closeup capabilities without carrying with you a macro lens.

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