Tamron SP AF 180mm F3.5 Di LD IF A-mount lens review by DarkScribe

DarkScribe#8066 date: Oct-9-2010
sharpness: 3.5 color: 4 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 3 overall: 3.5	tested on: film camera: APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:	I own this lens
compared to:	Minolta 100 2.8 Macro, Sigma 90 and 180 Macro
price paid:	au$149
positive:	Very little - aside from low cost - I was very disappointed when I added this lens to my collection.
negative:	Hunts terribly - not having a focus limiter makes it often so difficult to focus that you miss shots. It is also very noisy when trying to focus. Manual focus ring is small and not easy to get a true fine focus. Very flimsy plastic construction - it makes the Sony 75-300 kit lens seem robust. It is one of the more disappointing lenses that I have purchased. I am selling mine currently.
comment:	I buy a lot of lenses, and possibly because I have some very good quality glass, albeit in many cased quite old, I am more discerning in my impression of lenses. This a lens that is mediocre at best, a much cheaper (au$50 on eBay) Sigma 90mm FP manual lens used with an adapter blows it out of the water for sharpness, depth of field and colour. In case I had a bad copy, I borrowed another photographer's copy for a couple of hours and it was just as bad - although the owner raved about it. It was I learned, the only macro he had ever used so with nothing to compare I can understand his enthusiasm.