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Tamron 90mm (Model 172E)
bc_south
Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
Hello,
I have received a lens after showing interest in wanting to try Macro shots.
It's a Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Marco 1:1 55mm ( Model 172E ) I'm hoping to use it with my Canon EOS 300D Rebel. I have done a search on the lens but only can find information for the Model 272E on English sites. I'm much of a novice with cameras and computers. I am hoping that someone can point me into the right direction on specs for this lens and information.
Thanks in advance!
I have received a lens after showing interest in wanting to try Macro shots.
It's a Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Marco 1:1 55mm ( Model 172E ) I'm hoping to use it with my Canon EOS 300D Rebel. I have done a search on the lens but only can find information for the Model 272E on English sites. I'm much of a novice with cameras and computers. I am hoping that someone can point me into the right direction on specs for this lens and information.
Thanks in advance!
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Comments
Your lens is the model previous to the present 90mm Tamron Macro. It is the 90mm f/2.8 Tamron SP Macro. The newer model adds the designators DI to that name to signify that it has been optimized for macro shooting!
I would not worry about having the older model. If yours is as sharp as mine and there is no reason to think that it is not), it should blow your socks off regarding image quality. Mine equals the IQ of my L lenses such as the 24-70mm f/2.8L; 70-200mm f/4L IS and 400mm f/5.6L.
It is a straight forward lens to use with no great peculiarities except that switching it from AF to Manual Focus requires (for some reason) both slipping the front knurled focusing ring back and forth (you will see lines indication AF and MF on the barrel of the lens just behind the focus ring). It also requires setting a switch located just in front of the lens mount (behind where the TAMRON SP AF MACRO is printed on the lens.
It also has a limit switch (located below the TAMRON SP designator) which makes the lens focus faster by limiting the focusing range to close-up shooting or allowing full close up to infinity focusing.
Other than that the lens has no oddities. It is light and easily hand holdable and easily doubles as a short relatively fast tele lens (AF is decently fast but not up to the faster USM equipped Canon lenses).
Another area in which this lens really shines is in head and shoulders portraiture. Given that you have a place to shoot from a reasonable distance away from your subject. After all, this lens is 90mm and a 144mm equivalent. What makes this such a great portrait lens is the creamy Bokeh it produces.
Here is some information regarding this lens.
http://photo.net/equipment/canon/can-tam-macro/
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00FejW
By the way, this is the only lens I own for which I don't use a lens hood. That is because the front element is deeply recessed enough to not need a shade.
Here is the way I set mine up for macro work. The bracket is a Sigelite which can be occasionally found used on eBay for $10-$25. In the photo, the flash I was using is the 420ex with a Canon Off-Camera Flash Cord and a Lumiquest diffuser. However, I now mostly use my 550ex for macro work because it is easier to use on manual exposure control than is the 420ex.
Here is a shot of the MF/AF controls on our lenses.
The reason that I have the switch marked "I wonder about" is that I sent this image to another Tamron owner (when I first got this lens) asking him if I needed to use both the knurled focus ring and the switch when changing from MF to AF. Answer was YES.