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Best Tamron lenses?
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:05 am    Post subject: Best Tamron lenses? Reply with quote

Hi folks

I found a Tamron Adaptall 2 to Canon EF adapter and don't have any Tamron lenses, never been a fan of zooms so never really looked at Tamrons.

What Tamron lenses do folks recommend?

The SP ones are supposed to be good I hear, how are the regular, non-SP lenses?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The old 105/2.5 is a great lens, I still regret selling mine...


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've taken out my SP 35-80mm a few times lately and I quite like it.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So do I after looking at your pics.

I'll keep my eye out for some SP lenses then.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of the best medium zooms - 103A 80-210

http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/103A.html

Still cheap these days - look around and you might find one for $10-20


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
One of the best medium zooms - 103A 80-210

http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/103A.html

Still cheap these days - look around and you might find one for $10-20


Thanks Luis, that's precisely the kind of info i need, there are a ton of cheap Tamron 70-210 and 80-210 zooms for sale, had no idea if any were good or not.

Quote:
Tamron 80-210mm F/3.8-4 Model 103A: This was one of Tamron's best selling lenses throughout the early to mid 1980s for good reason — it successfully combined a moderate price with above average optical performance along with a lightweight package featuring very good ergonomics. This lens features a completely new optical design compared to the earlier model 03A lens. Images are very slightly soft in the corners with the aperture wide open at the 80 and 210 zoom settings, with sharpness across the entire film plane improving to very good at F/5.6 and smaller apertures at all zoom settings. While this later model 103A version lost the built-in lens hood, this lens was nearly a half inch shorter in overall length compared to Tamron's previous model 03A and had much better optical performance. This lens was replaced in 1986 with the 70-210 F/3.8-4 model 46A which was only in production for two years since the market was rapidly transitioning to autofocus camera systems. Both the model 103A and the similar model 46A with a slightly broader zoom range feature better than average optical performance, yet the later model 46A featured a plastic zoom/focus barrel with an integral plastic diamond grip and didn't have depth-of-field scales. Thus the later model 46A both looked and felt cheap. Overall, the 103A model is the best of the three since it featured above average optical performance and all-metal construction.


Is there any obvious visual markers to looks for when trying to spot the 103A version?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

General appearance plus no built-in hood.

The earlier 03A had a built-in hood

The 03A is good but the 103A is better.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
General appearance plus no built-in hood.

The earlier 03A had a built-in hood

The 03A is good but the 103A is better.


Excellent, I have checked ebay and there is an 03A for 6ukp or so with not much time left but I'll wait for a 103A, there are several listed for 6-15ukp.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Tamron SP 90mm 2.5 macro with its extension tube to reach 1:1 is one of the best portrait macro lens that I ever tried.
I strongly recommend also the 35-105mm, and the 500mm f8 mirror 55B.

Regards.
Jes.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jesito wrote:
The Tamron SP 90mm 2.5 macro with its extension tube to reach 1:1 is one of the best portrait macro lens that I ever tried.
I strongly recommend also the 35-105mm, and the 500mm f8 mirror 55B.

Regards.
Jes.


Muchas Gracias Jes.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 135mm f2.5 is worth trying - they still seem to go cheaply on eBay. I have one and use it regularly with really quite pleasing results. it focuses a bit closer than most 135s, but not as close as the 80-200 zoom that's been highly recommended. I have one of those as well - one of the best aspects is its close focusing of around 1 meter, although at 200mm you need to use a tripod.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My personal faves are:

80-210/3.8-4 103A (incredible value)
70-210/3.8-4 45A (later version of 103A, even better!)
17/3.5 (on full frame)
28/2.5
35-70/3.5
SP 24-48
SP 35-210mm
SP 350/5.6 mirror (very sharp!)
SP 60-300 (very sharp and no CA from f7.1, loads of CA before)


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

None of them will disappoint you on at least APS-C sensor I didn't like them on 4/3 sensors.

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/japenese/Tamron/?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You should consider the fact that if your adapter is an original Tamron brand Canon EOS EF Adaptall-2, it will sell for $200+ on eBay.

You can sell it and buy a Chinese-made adapter, which works just as well, for about $15.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 46a is very good as well.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

M. Valdemar wrote:
You should consider the fact that if your adapter is an original Tamron brand Canon EOS EF Adaptall-2, it will sell for $200+ on eBay.

You can sell it and buy a Chinese-made adapter, which works just as well, for about $15.


+1

In my experience SP 17/3.5 & SP Macro 90/2.5 are excellent lenses. All the SP lenses I've tried are very good to excellent performers, primes better than zooms for IQ, although the 70-210/3.5 is very very sharp, comparable to modern zoom with that range without exotic optical materials or APO element(s). The CF 135/2.5 is also exceptional.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just purchased the 105mm f/2.5, but apparently in Adaptamatic. I have a Adaptall 135mm f/2.5 Close Focus model that I might have posted for sale in the market place.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

M. Valdemar wrote:
You should consider the fact that if your adapter is an original Tamron brand Canon EOS EF Adaptall-2, it will sell for $200+ on eBay.

You can sell it and buy a Chinese-made adapter, which works just as well, for about $15.


Wow, had no idea it was worth anything...

It is a proper Tamron one and it's in good condition...

Right, I hate ebay and would prefer to avoid it...

So, is this Tamron adapter of interest to anyone here?

Seems to me that rather than invest in some Tamron lenses it would make more sense for me to part with this adapter.

If anyone would like this Tamron adapter, please get in touch, I'm not bothered about selling it and would be heppy to swap it for an item that is more useful to me, I'm particularly looking for a wide angle lens in the 35-24mm range...



PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
M. Valdemar wrote:
You should consider the fact that if your adapter is an original Tamron brand Canon EOS EF Adaptall-2, it will sell for $200+ on eBay.

You can sell it and buy a Chinese-made adapter, which works just as well, for about $15.


Wow, had no idea it was worth anything...

It is a proper Tamron one and it's in good condition...

Right, I hate ebay and would prefer to avoid it...

So, is this Tamron adapter of interest to anyone here?

Seems to me that rather than invest in some Tamron lenses it would make more sense for me to part with this adapter.

If anyone would like this Tamron adapter, please get in touch, I'm not bothered about selling it and would be heppy to swap it for an item that is more useful to me, I'm particularly looking for a wide angle lens in the 35-24mm range...


It looks like this is the first generation Tamron EF adaptor and it is different from my chrome Tamron EOS-M adaptor. Can you post a more clear photo of your adaptor with the rear EF mount?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't know Tamron made Adaptall-1 mounts for Canon EF?!

By the way, my one criticism of Tamron Adaptall-2 and SP lenses is the crazy amount of purple fringing evident. This is why I sold my super sharp SP 70-210/3.5 and 60-300/3.8-5.4.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManualFocus-G wrote:
I didn't know Tamron made Adaptall-1 mounts for Canon EF?!

By the way, my one criticism of Tamron Adaptall-2 and SP lenses is the crazy amount of purple fringing evident. This is why I sold my super sharp SP 70-210/3.5 and 60-300/3.8-5.4.


Here are some more pics, I know nothing about this adapter so I'm all ears. Sorry for the shoddy focus.

I hate purple fringing, my Promura 5/300 is particularly bad for it.






PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for the photos. This is the first copy I ever see - the EF adaptor for the adaptall-1!!


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

calvin83 wrote:
Thank you for the photos. This is the first copy I ever see - the EF adaptor for the adaptall-1!!


Thankyou for telling me what it is!

So will this work with both Adaptall-1 and Adaptall-2 lenses or just Adaptall-1?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Am I the only one who sees a Canon FD mount here? The script reading "for Canon EF" apparently denotes the good old Canon EF MF camera (FD-mount)...:



Not to be confused with Canon EOS EF mount.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WEIRD!!! That adapter has 'FOR CANON EF' printed on it but that is NOT an EF mount, it looks like maybe FD or FL to me...

edit: Thank you SVP!