Tamron adaptall lenses.

[bychance]

I have decided I want to start a collection of tamron lenses after having had a play with a 28mm f2.5 02B and a 35-135 mm 22A and would like some advice as to what you consider to be good performers/buys and a good progression. I want to collect the whole set eventually for use on slr and dslr via adapters.

I have a cannon 600D at the moment along with several canon, minolta, pentax, cosina, olympus but no Nikon slr bodies as yet.

These MF lenses are taking over and I need to stop buying random stuff and apply some dicipline to my new (obsession) hobby.
I have over 60 randomly purchased MF lenses now and about 14 various bodies

I need guidance and help and maybe therapy..

Any thoughts on collecting and using this system would be greatly appreciated

I also love all the other brands out there...

Bought a Vivitar XV2 with a 28mm 2.8 in utterly mint condition for no sensible reason other than cheap. Its lovely

A chinon mematron (first model) with chinon 55mm f1.7, not a mark on it for more or less nothing Looks like a beast..

Oh dear

Help


Steve.

[davev8app]

i can recommend the 52b/52bb 90mm f2.5 macro..V sharp V good contrast wide open.. for a 70-210 zoom the 19H...probably best in class

have a look here http://adaptall-2.org/index.html

[bychance]

[luisalegria]

You have GAS - glass aquisition syndrome
a bad case.
the only cure I know of, other than utter poverty or inhuman self control, is an annoyed wife.
There are lots of fine adaptall-2's
obvious and common ones to add, that are fairly cheap, are the 60-300 SP, the 103a, the 300/5.6 SP
There are more of course, always more.

[marcusBMG]

I have written up a list you might find helpful.

http://www.tremyfoel.co.uk/photography/Adaptall/TamronAdaptallList2.html

pssst I have a spare 23A, 19AH....

[Basilisk]

the 500mm f8 mirror lens 55B or BB is considered to be one of the better mirror lenses out there. A bit specialised as it is slow (more like f11 in terms of light transmission) but can be fairly sharp with practice. In good light, an excellent casual birding lens (compare it with the weight of any other 500mm lens)

[Aanything]

The SP 70-210 f3.5 19AH is an excellent zoom, perfectly usable through all the zoom range from wide open. The only problem on digital is a little more purple fringing than I'd like too in some situation, but most of the times is quite easy to remove in PP.
The SP 90/2.5 is another very good lens, extremely sharp, cheap, and very a useful range for macro: the downside here is the need of extension tubes or TC to get to 1:1 magnification, but it works great with both.
I also like the adaptall-2 3.5/200 - nothing exceptional, but a reliable tele with great build quality.
I wasn't impressed by the 2.5/24, but looking back at my shots with it I see nothing to really complain about.

[SXR_Mark]

From personal experience, I like

52B 90mm macro
55B 500mm mirror
01A 35-80mm
23A 60-300mm
31A 200-500mm

I didn't like the 54B 300mm as it had too much colour fringing.

My excellent condition 23A is currently for sale on ebay. (Shameless plug)

Mark

[davev8app]

[Lloydy]

my personal favourites -

SP 52BB 90 2.5 Macro, everyone should have one, and don't forget the 01F Teleconverter.

BBAR Macro 85-210 4.5, common mid range lens that amazes me every time I use it. A bokeh monster and sharp.

SP 54B 300 5.6, not the fastest of the Tamron 300's but it is very good, and light. A nice lens to use.

SP 28-135 4-4.5, I bought this lens and used it for maybe an hour before it died on me, I shall buy another, it really was very good. ( don't buy a Tamron one touch lens with a lumpy zoom / focus action )

I like all my Tamrons, but these are the one's I keep going back to.

[bychance]

Bliss! cheers guys, this is just what the doctor ordered I am going to compile a list in order of the most respected lenses from your recommendations and then seek them out

davev8app The link http://adaptall-2.org/index.htm is brilliant mate. any more good sites and sources greatly appreciated

Marcus BMG that is brilliant thank you

Steve.

[Lloydy]

Steve, you need to get up to the Wolverhampton Camera Fair ( it's now the biggest in the country ) as there's always loads of Tamrons, I picked up the 300 5.6 in great condition for about £8 or something stupid like that. I never spend more than a tenner for a nice Tamron - except the 90 2.5 which was about £40.

http://www.wolverhamptoncamerafair.co.uk/

the dates haven't been updated - but here they are

Wolverhampton Fairs

15th Feb. 2015
19th April 2015
5th July 2015
4th Oct. 2015
29th Nov. 2015

[bychance]

Cheers Dave, i shall definatly go to the next one in feb, better start saving up

Steve.

[atiratha]

Definitely try the 105/2.5, I just fell in love with its character. IMO one of the best portrait lenses.

[TrueLoveOne]

Don't forget the SP 24-48mm (13A) !

[calvin83]

I love my Tamron SP 350mm f/5.6 Model 06B.

[enzodm]

I have 28/2.5 (do not like much but it could be matter of focal length), and 135/2.5 (like it, and it's time to take it again out of the box).

[Olivier]

Hello Steve.

I like my Tamrons very much.
The one I like less is the Tamron (03A) 3.8-4/80-210mm.

Here is my list :
- Tamron (02B) 2.5/28mm. Found it average.

- Tamron (55B) SP 8/500mm miror lens. Great !
http://forum.mflenses.com/visit-at-the-zoo-tamron-sp-500-f8-part-2-t37287,highlight,%2Btamron.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/cat-with-a-cat-lens-tamron-sp-500-f8-t36498,highlight,%2Btamron.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-500-f8-some-more-pictures-t36499,highlight,%2Btamron.html including proxi shots
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-500mm-f8-t49322,highlight,%2Btamron.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/macroglossum-stellatarum-tamron-sp-500-f8-t40401,highlight,%2Btamron.html
On Pen E-P2 : http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-500mm-f8-on-pen-e-p2-t46862,highlight,%2Btamron.html
Moon shots with different combos : http://forum.mflenses.com/moon-shots-with-different-combos-tamron-sp-500-f8-t64913,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (13A) SP 3.5-3.8/24-48mm. Wide and great.
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-24-48mm-f3-5-3-8-5d-mark-ii-t67475,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (28A) SP 4-4.5/28-135mm. Very fine to use.
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-ad2-28a-sp-4-4-5-28-135-t36118,highlight,%2Btamron.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-28-135mm-f4-4-5-t53890,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (01A) SP 2.8-3.8/35-80mm. Really great.
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-ad2-01a-sp-35-80mm-f2-8-3-8-macro-t28247,highlight,%2Btamron.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/roses-survivors-tamron-35-80mm-f2-8-3-8-t34786,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (03A) 3.8-4/80-210mm. Average.
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-ad2-80-210mm-03a-3-5-4-kittens-samples-t19005,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (23A) SP 3.8-5.4/60-300mm. Great.
http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-60-300-macro-abilities-t56181,highlight,%2Btamron.html

- Tamron (01F) SP Tele-converter x2 MC. It degrades IQ but it's interesting to mount on the miror SP 500 which makes 1000mm (1600mm equivalent on your 600D). Mounted on m4/3 system such as Olympus Pen that makes 2000mm equivalence, interesting to shoot at the moon (need a good tripod and no Wind...). http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-500-f8-some-birds-in-the-garden-t36581,highlight,%2Btamron.html
Good for Macro : http://forum.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-01a-35-80mm-f2-8-3-8-and-doubler-01f-t37612,highlight,%2Btamron.html

Reading at this list, I realize that I'm very happy with the SP lenses. Maybe you could focus on these.
Generally Tamron zooms are versatile and have interesting proxi abilities.
About using them on Canon EF system, I chose to equip each of my Tamrons with a dedicated Adaptall-2 to EF adapter with programmable AG confirm chip.

The adaptall-2 system gives us the opportunity to make great bargains as people don't look too much at lenses said to be Canon FD, Minolta mounts.

[Lloydy]

How could I forget the wonderful 500 / 8 mirror lens ? It's worth getting.

[Kei]

I was an avid collector of tamron adaptall-2 series and spent a fair time using many of them. Here's what I have and my opinion on them:

Primes:
17mm f3.5 SP (51B) - Sharp in the centre but gets odd in the corners on digital. (almost like pixelation) Looks great on film, still slightly soft in the extreme corners until f8. Needs the hood to fit filters.


APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
IMG_2576 by --Kei--, on Flickr

Fuji Pro 400H
VeniceStMarks- by --Kei--, on Flickr

Fuji Velvia 100F
Venice5 by --Kei--, on Flickr

24mm f2.5 (01BB) - sharp in the centre poor in the corners. Not as good as the 24-48 zoom, nikon pre ai prime or olympus OM, hence the lack of images.


135mm (03B) - OK not as good as my AI nikkor hence again, a lack of images.


180mm f2.5 SP (63B) - An incredible lens that I won't part with any time soon. Not compared to another as I've never felt the need to try and replace it. It's every bit as sharp as my nikon 80-200mm F2.8 ED and my old canon 70-200 F4 L IS.


APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
_MG_1251 by --Kei--, on Flickr

Fuji Velvia 100F
Snail Slide by --Kei--, on Flickr

300mm f5.6 SP (54B) - A reasonable lens that excels at macro provided there is sufficient light. I find it too slow to use often and have barely ever touched it. (prefer the 300mm f2.8 nikon, but that doesn't allow close focus)


Zooms:
24-48mm f3.5-3.8 SP (13A) - Superior to the tamron 24mm prime (not quite up to the other primes), very strong susceptibility to flare. Needs the hood for fitting 77mm filters.


Fuji Velvia 100F
Shdaows Slide by --Kei--, on Flickr

APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
_MG_1291 by --Kei--, on Flickr
_MG_0682 by --Kei--, on Flickr

28-80mm f3.5-4.2 SP (27A) - Just a hair worse than the 35-80 but not much in it. Certainly seems sharp enough past f5.6


Fuji Velvia 100F
Venice1 by --Kei--, on Flickr

35-80mm f2.8-3.8 (01A) - Fantastic performance all round, sharp even wide open at 35mm. Very susceptible to flare. (even with hood)


APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
IMG_1998 by --Kei--, on Flickr

Full frame (Nikon D800)
IMG_6561 by --Kei--, on Flickr

70-210mm f3.5 (19AH) - A nice lens, reasonably sharp wide open and superb from f5.6. Very strong levels of CA (purple and yellow) around bright lights on digital, seems better on film.


APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
IMG_3777 by --Kei--, on Flickr

Full frame (Nikon D800)
IMG_6522 by --Kei--, on Flickr

75-250mm f3.8-4.5 (04A) - An OK lens at best, not terrible but not great either. (was my first)


APS-C (Canon EOS 20D)
IMG_0294 by --Kei--, on Flickr

Kodak Tmax 400
Guitar by --Kei--, on Flickr

[bychance]

Wow guys i didnt expect such a great response. Olivier and kei, that sort of info is so welcome, bless you.

I have envied people in the past that were starting out in fly fishing for the brilliant journey they were starting, learning all the fascinating aspects of the craft that I had mastered.

I almost envy myself now with the new learning curves that i am having with these MF lenses and cameras. What a nice hobby/obsession.

God bless the digital revolution for making these lenses so available

Now, how to store all these new lenses I must have problems problems

[Rense]

If have all the adaptall lenses excluding 05a,60b,360b,65b,107b,200f.
From the adapt-a-matic range only PZ-60Au,PZ-150Au are missing.

Hard to tell a favourite lens, but if I must make a choice: The wonderfull 70-150 Soft focus and 180 f/2.8 are the winners.

[Olivier]

Welcome here Kei !

[SXR_Mark]

[cooltouch]

Well, this is a subject that I hold near and dear. I love my Tamrons and have a slowly increasing collection of them. Kei mentioned most of the ones I would have, plus he even supplied some brilliant photos to go along with each lens. If I might just add a few of my favorites to the list, though:

I have long been a champion of the Tamron SP 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4. I bought my first copy back in the mid-80s and used it a lot back then at airshows and auto races. It did a fine job. I own two copies now. These days, when shooting with a digital camera and this lens I do notice a fair amount of purple CA, but this can be quickly removed in post, so it's not a big deal.

Tamron's 80-200mm f/2.8 LD is certainly one of the finest 80-200/2.8 manual focus lens ever built. At 200mm, it compares very favorably with Nikon's amazing 180mm f/2.8 ED. It's big and heavy and fortunately has a tripod mount, but it is definitely a lens any serious Tamron collector wants to have in inventory.

The 300mm f/2.8 LD IF is on par with Canon's and Nikon's 300mm f/2.8s when it comes to sharpness and contrast, and how well corrected the images are. This is a special lens that sometimes can be found for a reasonable price, if you're patient.

Yes, the 500mm f/8 Mirror -- both versions -- is one of the best mirrors ever produced by a Japanese lens maker. I'd put it up against a Nikkor or Canon 500/8 any day.

And the bazooka -- the SP 200-500mm f/5.6 -- has to be mentioned. Dang, is this lens heavy! Tripod mounting is almost a must with it. I've tested the copy I own against other 500s -- and longer -- that I own or have used -- and it hangs in there with the best of them. This is one impressive zoom -- at 500mm wide open.