Lens Reviews

I’ve always preferred longer focal-length macro lenses in the 90-100mm range because they give you more breathing room between the camera and skittish subjects than does standard (50/60mm) macros. No wonder, then, that one of my earliest lenses was the original Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro, which I first paired with a Minolta SR-T 102. I burned plenty of Kodachrome with that glass.

There was time when those seeking super-wide lenses for APS-C size sensor cameras didn’t have much choice, but new light gathering systems that distribute light evenly from lens to sensor, as well as new optical formulas from camera makers and independent lens manufacturers, have changed that point of view. The latest in this welcome new class of glass is from Tamron, with their 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 offering. Priced at around $500 (street) and weighing in at about 14 oz., the Tamron 10-24mm is useable for cameras that require “motor in the lens” operation, such as the Nikon D40X, on which this lens was tested.  The DiII designation tells you that this lens is for digital SLRs with APS-C sensors.

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The new Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) joins a growing community of wide-zoom lenses. In contrast to an earlier version of this lens, which is available in several mounts, this APS-C Tamron optic (designated Model B005/$649 street price) is only available in Nikon DX (with built-in motor) and Canon mounts. Given that I mated this lens to a Nikon D300, that effectively...

Although Tamron makes some wide aperture, pro-grade lenses, the affordable "multi-platform" 28-300mm zoom and the "digital only" 18-200mm zoom have been their best sellers. That's understandable, since those are unusually versatile and portable lenses. Now, Tamron is marketing a newer 18-250mm Di II model, the first lens on the market with a 13.9x...

Tamron's various 28-300mm "ultra" zooms have been best sellers since their first model of this type was introduced in 1999. Each subsequent version featured improvements and this latest "4th generation" product is the most desirable to date, since it includes a Vibration Compensation stabilizer aside from a wealth of advanced optical technology. A...

Long considered the focal-length sweet spot for macro work, the 60mm focal length of the new Tamron 60mm f/2 lens ($569 MSRP) converts out to 96mm for Canon and 90mm for Nikon APS-C D-SLRs.

For the first time, Tamron has incorporated an Ultrasonic Silent Drive, or USD, with full-time manual override in this zoom lens, making it a competitive technology with Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor, Canon’s Ultrasonic Motor (USM), and Sony’s Super Sonic wave Motor.