Review Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

According provided by Tamron SP 1: 2.5 lens 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AIl (for Nikon) many thanks to Vladimir Tarasyuk.

Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro 27° The BBAR MC 49∅ 52B N / AI is an excellent all-metal prime lens designed primarily for macro photography. This review presents a version of the lens for use with Nikon cameras. The Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B was available with the Tamron Adaptall-2 interchangeable shank system, allowing it to be used on virtually any system.

Review Instance Name Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro 27° BBAR MC 49∅ 52B N / AI No.511100
A type manual fixed focal length macro lens
Front Filter Diameter 49mm (!) Using Tamron Genuine 23FH hood - 58mm
Focal length 90 mm, EGF for cameras Nikon DX 135 mm, EGF for Nikon CX 240mm cameras
Designed by for film cameras, has a system of interchangeable shanks Tamron Adaptall-2
Number of aperture blades 8 pieces
Tags aperture, focusing distance, magnification, DOF
Diaphragm F / 2.5-f / 32
MDF 0.39 m, maximal magnification factor 1: 2. Using a Tamron SP 2X tele-converter 01F macro extender or similar and compatible maximum magnification is 1: 1
The weight 420 g
Optical design 8 elements in 6 groups, enlightenment BBAR MC
Lens hood 23FH
Manufacturer country Japan, 1979-1988

Aperture ring and focus rubberized. The focus ring rotates 360 degrees (a full revolution around the axis). Focusing is smooth; during focusing, the trunk of the lens lengthens noticeably, while the front lens does not rotate. Also, during focusing, the focus ring itself shifts forward, but the rear lens remains stationary.

The Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B has a focusing distance scale in meters and feet, as well as a depth of field scale for f / 16 and f / 32. Two special scales are responsible for the magnification factor during macro photography. One of them shows the available magnification ratio in normal mode, without using a macro-extender. In this case, you can get a maximum magnification ratio of 1: 2, which is pretty good. If you use the 'Tamron Extension Tube for SP 90 / 2.5 (1: 2-1: 1)' macro extender (it can be a regular macro ring of a certain length), you can get a 1: 1 magnification. Using such an extender, the lens can operate only in macro mode with a magnification ratio from 1: 5 to 1: 1.

The lens aperture consists of 8 blades. At intermediate values ​​between F / 2.5 and F / 5.6, the petals form a serrated hole (circular saw). On more closed values, starting at F / 5.6 - a regular polygon. In the gallery, there is a photo of multi-colored light bulbs showing jagged edges. It would be nice if we added another aperture blade and made the aperture more round. F-values ​​are toggled with clicks. There are red letters 'AE' next to the F / 32 mark, which denote the ability to use the lens in some auto modes with some Nikon film cameras.

Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B uses a special 'BBAR MC'' multi-coating - Broad Band ANTI Rreflection Multi Coating (deep anti-glare multi-enlightenment). The front lens shines with a pronounced aquamarine (the marks on the scale with feet are the same color), the rear one is lilac. To further reduce the amount of glare, you can use a hood that is screwed into the thread of the front filter. The native 23FH hood is metallic and uses 58mm filters or caps while the filter diameter is only 49mm.

The Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B shows good sharpness already at f / 2.5 and excellent from f / 4. The lens is sharp at both close and long focusing distances. Only at very closed apertures, such as f / 22, f / 32, diffraction partially 'eats up' the detail.

The optimal relative aperture when working from infinity to a magnification ratio of 1: 4 is F / 8, if a large multiplicity is needed, then it is optimal to use F / 11.

No noticeable distortion, good color rendering, and overall very nice drawing. True, in the backlight, the lens can still catch glare. Also, on heavily covered apertures in the center of the frame, depending on the lighting, it may appear blue flare. An example of such a glare is clearly visible in the picture with a bump.

Overall Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B is functionally similar to Vivitar Series 1 90mm 1: 2.5 VMC Macro (aka Tokina AT-X Macro 90mm 1: 2.5). Subsequently, the 52B model was replaced by the 52BB model, which retained the same optical design, only the frame rim changed.

Source files can download from this link (44 photos in '.ARW' format, 1 Gb). On the Sony a7 camera, I used a lens using a Nikon F - Sony E adapter. How to use old manual lenses on modern Nikon DSC is described in the section about AI-S.

Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

My experience

It is stated that Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B is great for portraiture. On one of the sites it is even indicated that the Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B - 'Super portrait'. As for the created image quality, there are no problems, but I have already written more than once that using macro lenses for portrait photography is hampered by the small spacing of the focusing ring at the distance range that is most often used for portraits. This time I used a Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B Macro lens on the Sony a7, which has an excellent pick function (highlighting sharp areas in the photo). But even with this feature at F / 2.5, portraits are pretty tricky. The slightest touch of the focusing ring dramatically shifts the depth of field. As a result, I was finally disappointed in macro portrait photography. Of course, no one forbids the use of Tamron 90 / 2.5 52B in this genre, and if you get used to it, you may not notice the discomfort. At the same time, purely for portraits, classic manual portrait lenses of the 85-135 / 1.4-1.8-2-3.5 class are much more suitable.

Catalog of modern Tamron lenses can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Results

Once again, the Tamron SP (Super Performance) lens did not disappoint and showed high image quality and build quality. I recommend to all fans of 'sharper' lenses.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Kostya

 

 

Comments: 120, on the topic: Review of Tamron SP 1: 2.5 90mm Tele Macro BBAR MC 52B N / AI

  • Lynx Yarkaya

    Ha ha ha, registration on Radozhiv. Smiled. You, as a KGB Putler social network VKONTAKTE, offer to come to Arkady's office with passports to register on Radozhiv. I was anonymous, anonymous and I will die, fortunately tor allows. All your registrations will only lead to the fact that the last people will stop visiting Radozhiva, and will read, for example, photo-monster.ru or a much more interesting kaddr, com. And about - to offend the owner in his own house - so if there is no criticism, the owner himself, together with Lynx Yarkoy, will begin to walk on his head here, he will think of himself as the god of photography, despite the fact that sometimes all three are fundamentally wrong, and stupidly ban those who disagree with his only correct point of view. Criticism and shake-up are sometimes simply necessary, especially for such arrogant people as Arkady, not to mention the gods of Yarky and Lynx photos with their photos at the level of a selfie after the third drink.

    • sergey

      And as for me it’s the same offended Anatoly, only he changed his nickname more precisely, he stole it and immediately two

    • Arkady Shapoval

      I was always wondering where I am arrogant :)

    • KalekseyG

      here, in addition to the photo, I am also fond of lamp radio engineering, and naturally I live in such forums, there is a srach so srach, there, for the letter in the name of the capacitor, and especially for the information that the auto-displacement is steeper than the fix, they can about ... be, obs ... and banned for a year, but just to take off silence and grace, but in general the conclusion is that there should be only one admin and only he can “do what I want and turn over, that is, I act in the interests of the state” and only in this case the site will be in the form in which the director intended. Arkady! - success and thanks for the reviews.

      • Alexander

        Precisely noticed :) I agree.

  • an norge

    Good afternoon everyone. Yesterday at the local “flea market”, lopetmarket in the local, I bought two lenses: tamron 135 2.5 adaptal2 and helios-44 2/58. I bought it inexpensively, only 150 kroons ($ 20). But then, among various rubbish, I found something dusty, like a piece of a telescope :), asked if it was for sale? the guy said that I could take it "in load", he did not know what to do with it. when he came home, cleaned it, looked on the Internet, realized that I had a Leitz projector Weitzlar Elmaron 1: 2.8 / 150mm. It seems like Leica? Attached to it a transition 42 to nikon with electrical tape, fortunately it approached in diameter, tried to shoot with my 5100. He shoots, but places where there is something white seems to blur. In the network found how one Japanese remade this lens with a bunch of transitions. the bokeh there is fantastic. so, maybe someone has such a miracle, or can advise how to bring it to mind without the help of electrical tape :). thank you, Arkady, this is reading your site I again "infected" with photography, after the student 80s at FED 2. I have been reading for a year and a half, writing the first time h, sorry, if something is wrong

  • an norge

    Forgot to add a photo.

  • an norge

    Another

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Terribly poor quality photo

  • Uladzimir

    Dear colleagues! Not a single gram of the venom of the most vicious criticism costs absolutely nothing if this criticism is not supported by photographs. Mr. Evtifeev in his blog for example simply compares the lenses of various manufacturers. And it’s full of sites where you can compare pictures of different glasses by such parameters as sharpness, the presence of geometric and chromatic aberrations, color reproduction, etc. Therefore, look where you need it.

  • Kostya

    Arkady! I have a lens for you to review. It seems that you still haven’t.

    • Kostya

      One more photo

  • Eugene

    Perhaps glass is decent, but ... I had 3 Tamron lenses adapted with different focal lengths and they all had fungus, and they were bought from different people, one even returned back because of a pronounced fungus, after that I am afraid to deal with this series of lenses.

    • Denis

      Take a new Tamron for the season ...

  • anonym

    Photo, Tamron 90 \ 2.5

  • Amateur photographer__

    See the next photo, take a look at the Tamron 90 \ 2.5 active at the aperture 11. You can see it well that you can navigate on such a diaphragm the glibin of the size is small, not a width of 1-2 mm.

  • Amateur photographer__

    For portrait photography, the optical-mechanical system is very convenient. On my dummy, oh, ktiv maє take bokeh.
    Photo zoomed on diaphragm 2.5.

  • Amateur photographer__

    In macro mode - the objective will show even better results.

  • Andrei

    Hello. Please tell me, under what circumstances does this spot appear in the center of the frame? I see that in many pictures it is present. It confuses ..

  • Andrei

    And yet, you write that this tamron is functionally similar to Vivitar and Tokin, but what about the quality of the photo and the convenience of focusing (not macro)? Looks like?

  • anonym

    Sche decilka photo, vidznyatikh tsim about, Act:

  • anonym

    More

    • Ivan

      According to the photo, we can state the fact that the 10th lumix digital soap macro shot macro much better in its time). Hmm ...

      • KalekseyG

        I state that I have hardly translated what is written. What did you want to say something? What soap dish is better than a mirror?

        • BB

          I think yes. And here he is right: less matrix means more depth of field. It is easier to shoot macro with a digital compact if the MDF allows. On your Panasonic FZ50, you just need to screw the macro lens, and you get a good macro, without special dances with a tambourine (and you can't do without them when shooting with a DSLR).

        • Ivan

          What photo is about nothing. Google translate go ahead and go!

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