TAMRON announces new MACRO lens

[DonSchap]

So ... you say your MACRO isn't "bright" enough.

How about a 60mm f/2?


(Click image for link to details)

Discussion encouraged ...

[jekostas]

*scratches head*

Why exactly is this news? Olympus has had their 50mm F/2 macro out since mid-2003.

[Rooz]

no macro lens on aps-c i'm aware of is faster than 2.5. an f2 macro lens is pretty cool cos it would make for a really good portrait lens aswell. it would also mean that you can shoot it at probably 2.8 at MFD which is not possible with most macro lens' now which are only 2.8 @ infinity-ish.

[TheObiJuan]

I'm glad you stay on top of things, Don.
I'm eager to see sample images and reviews; I'd buy it!

[raven15]

*concurs with jekostas*

[devin]

Dang! This could be sweet. I have been thinkin about the Canon 100mm macro, but this could be worth waiting for.

[Viky]

New innovations from Tamron:

New BABR Coating
Full Time Manual
Internal Focusing

..an f2 macro lens is pretty cool cos it would make for a really good portrait lens aswell..

Yes, infact, it should make for a better portrait lens than either the 50 1.8 or 1.4 since apart from the f2 aperture, it also has a 7 blade aperture to provide a smoother background blur

[D70FAN]

Yes, infact, it should make for a better portrait lens than either the 50 1.8 or 1.4 since apart from the f2 aperture, it also has a 7 blade aperture to provide a smoother background blur

7 blade diaphrams are the norm. Most newer lenses have 9 for a rounder look to the background blurr.

Just saying... not innovative... and it remains to be seen if there is really an advantage to f/2 vs. say the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 in this type of lens.

Sorry, never been a big fan of Tamron. I've had 4 and all were disappointing (Nikon mount). Maybe they have improved. I may try this one and see... again skimping on the diaphram does not bode well.

Don, Are you planning to get one? If so, I'll wait for your comments.

[Rooz]

it remains to be seen if there is really an advantage to f/2 vs. say the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 in this type of lens.

the difference is 1 stop. no need to wait to see, its the difference between shooting at iso400 or iso 800.

[D70FAN]

the difference is 1 stop. no need to wait to see, its the difference between shooting at iso400 or iso 800.

Speed isn't the only atribute of a quality "fast" lens. There are others that are of equal importance like optical quality, focus accuracy, contrast, etc. These are the issues I have had with Tamaron (on Nikons) in the past.

Also, if this is being cast as a portrait/macro lens the shorter DOF at f/2 may be a moot point as lens speed using natural or studio lighting is not generally a critical factor. The use of a 7 segment diaphram (vs. competitors 9) is also certainly reason for pause.

I'm not suggesting that it's not a decent lens, just that a larger aperture capability does not always equal a good lens.