Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com
47 First tests
SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro £579
Specs
Format Full-frame and APS-C Mount Nikon and Canon (Sony coming soon) Construction 14 elements in 11 groups Special lens elements 1x Low Dispersion (LD), 2x eXtra Low Dispersion (XLD) Coatings eBAND, BBAR and fluorine Filter size 62mm Aperture range f/2.8-32 (f/5.6-64 at closest focus) Diaphragm 9 blade rounded design Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 30cm Focus limiter Yes Maximummagnification 1:1 Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser Yes Tripod collar No Lens hood Yes Weather-sealed Yes, moisture and dust Dimensions (lxd) 117.1x79mm Weight 600g Contact tamron.eu/uk
Still hot from the lens oven (a technical term) when it arrived in the PN office, the SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro is an update of its identically named predecessor. Confused? There’s no need to be. While the top line spec is very similar, the new lens is categorised as‘ModelF017’andlooksverydifferent, so it’s easy to pick it out in a line. The 90mm focal length and 1:1 maximum reproduction ratio makes this macro lens suitable for all sorts of tiny subjects and with its fast aperture and updated 5-axis Vibration Compensation (VC) it’s also useful in low light and for portraits. The old 90mm was an excellent performer though, so great things are expected of its heir. Starting with its construction, the lens follows Tamron’s ‘new SP design concept’whichappliestoitsotherrecent fast-aperture prime lenses. Alongside re-engineered optics, of which more later, this means it’s treated to a tough, sleek metal barrel and has a distinctive concave silver ring at the base, which falls rather nicely under your little
finger when cradling the lens, giving a more comfortable grip. The front half is dominated by large focus ring, andwith an internal focusing design, the front element doesn’t rotate or extend, this being important for close focusingwork where extending optics are in danger of striking parts of the subject or alarming whatever critter you’re shooting. The barrel features three low-profile switches to control AF/MF, the VC function and a three-stage focus limiter (Full, 0.5m to infinity and 0.3-0.5m). The lens is also moisture proofed and dust resistant; seals extend to the front element, buttons and focus ring, and there’s a thick rubber gasket at the mount; thiswill be of huge benefitwhen shooting macro specimens out in the open. The front element also features a fluorine coating to repel water, oil and dust. Overall, the construction feels very high-end and reliable. While there was little wrong with the previous model, the new lens is certainly a step up, and to outline this, the lens weighs 50gmore than its predecessor, at 600g.
Manual focus performance is very important for amacro lens as that’s how most enthusiasts shoot their close-ups. Thankfully then, the 90mm Macro’s ring is excellent; it’s deep and therefore easy to find, and it operates smoothly with just the right level of resistance, allowing precise changes. There is quite a bit of travel to get from near to far, but the space in the turnallows even further precision and it’s not like speed is much of a concern. The lens’s switches have a solid feel with no slipping or rattling, and they fall well under the thumbwith no strain required to move from first to last. The only issue I found (as with the 85mm f/1.8 VC) was each switch is the same size and shape; differentiation in texture would have helped. Ontest,Imostlyshotinmanualfocus for macro subjects, but for portraits, the lens’s retuned AF, with its allied and near-silent Ultra Silent Drive (USD), is very brisk. It was very accurate, too, although like most it did occasionally hunt when faced with low-contrast subjects. This was improved, but not eliminated, when the focus limiter was engaged as there’s less range for the lens to cover. Naturally for AF macro work it was best kept on the 0.3-0.5m setting. The system also supports a manual override, so you can lock-on in AF and then fine-tune the focusmanually. The performance of the updated VC system is excellent and the steadying
action is clearly visible through the viewfinder when it kicks in, feeling like there’s a helping hand steadying the end of the lens. However, our test lens did make a bit of a clunk when the VC fired up, which isn’t ideal for wildlife. The 5-axis system compensates for movement both horizontally and vertically, and it’s so steady I found it needed to be deactivated (a simple matter of releasing the shutter or AF- on button) to recompose, otherwise you feel glued to the subject. Optically the lens’s performance was mostly first class. The construction includes one LD (low dispersion) and two XLD (extra low dispersion) elements, plus Tamron’s eBAND (Extended Bandwidth and Angular- Dependency) and BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coatings, and these add up to pictures with great clarity, even wide open. At its closest focusing distance of 30cm, where the effective aperture falls to f/5.6-f/64, the widest aperture gave very good results, peaking in the centre between f/11 and f/16. Beyond f/22, the sharpness fell off and results were bit mushy. Edge sharpness was consistently good throughout. When focused further off results were very similar, and the lens can be relied upon to resolve a great level of detail, below f/22. Vignetting and fringing were well controlled throughout. KS
Above The new 90mm f/2.8 VC handled very well, and its manual focusing ring is large, grippy and smooth – perfect for macro.
f/5.6
f/8
Verdict
The new Tamron 90mm VC builds on the solid foundations of the older lens and while it’s better in most regards, the level of improvement is slight in most cases; therefore if you have the old lens it’s not a vital upgrade. On the other hand, the lens’s excellent features, build and performance make it a compelling choice for anyone new to macro shooting or looking to upgrade on older optics, or to add modern features like image stabilisation.
Features All you could want from a macro lens (and plenty for portraits, too)
25/25
f/16
f/32
f/22
Performance Very good image quality and no complaints about the AF
23/25
24/25
Handling Aside from the similarity of the buttons, the lens is great to use
Value for money You get great performance and build, but there are cheaper options
22/25
Test images We shot in Rawwith no sharpening applied, and with the lens set to its closest focusing point (where 1:1 reproduction is achieved). Here the effective aperture falls to f/5.6-f/64, and our results showed a great level of sharpness. Peak results here were at f/11-f/16.
f/45
f/64
94/100
Overall If you’re in the market for a newmacro lens, this redesigned Tamron 90mmVC is well worth your consideration (and your money). It’s a classy performer and doesn’t disappoint on any level. Pros Build, image quality, AF speed and VC Cons Larger, heavier and more expensive than its predecessor
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