Tamron 200/3.5 Adapt-a-matic - sharp, superbly made !

[luisalegria]

Tamron was always one of the class acts in the third-party lens business. Their high point in workmanship, if not necessarily in optical achievement, may have been the late 1960's-early 1970's Adapt-a-matics. These wonderful pieces of art are available for next to nothing now.

This is one of the less common Adapt-a-matics, as I have been looking for one of these for three months and this is the first I've found. I think Tamron sold a lot of zooms in this line, but perhaps fewer primes.



It is in perfect, beautiful shape. Its a heavy, solid, smoothly working piece of machinery. Its about the same size as the similarly solid Tokina (Vivitar, Soligor, etc.) 200/3.5, but the fit and finish are very obviously superior.

This is my first Adapt-a-matic (I lately have another, coming up), and that is a curious device. The interchangeable lens mount is just popped into its socket, and then held in place by a separate screw-in retainer ring. Changing mounts is much slower and clumsier than with the Adaptalls and the T4's, or even the YS and T2's.

One tip I saw about Adapt-a-matics - the retaining thread is the 58mm filter thread (male on the lens), so if you lack the right mount, you can easily make one from a reverse adapter and an old 58mm filter. I haven't tried this.

Performance - Sharp ! And its sharp wide-open. I have no complaints at all. This easily ranks with my Yashinon-DX 200/4 as my best 200mm.

Its a cold and foggy day. I think in the US only some places in Alaska were colder than SF today.













The bird -



crop -

[poilu]

wow! this one is really sharp!

[sichko]

Excellent results.

I like the front of the building. Can you say something about it ? Would you call it "Art Deco" ?

[Attila]

Wow! Really nice one!I have latest revision, also a very nice sharp lens.

[yalcinaydin]

Does these also use an adapter like adaptall ?

[luisalegria]

Yes, the Adapt-a-matic system was the predecessor to Adaptall.

It is just not as well designed.

[luisalegria]

Hi Sichko,

Thats the top of the building actually, and it is Art Deco. Theres a lot of Art Deco in San Francisco's office buildings of the 1910's-1920's.

[francotirador]

Hi Luis
You know if there is any difference with the Tamron Series F, 200/3.5?
Thank you very much

[RAART]

[luisalegria]

I don't know if it is related to the series F. I never had a series F lens.

The Adaptamatic mount is, on the lens side, 58mm male thread. This is what the adaptamatic mounting retaining ring screws on to.
The actual mount is held on to the lens with this retaining ring, at least on some mounts like the M42. On others the ring is part of the mount adapter. Works the same way though.

This is the same thread as 58mm filters. So if you want to make your own mount thats a start anyway. I can think of several ways to do it. I would, because I like tinkering for the sake of tinkering.

[casualcollector]