Tamron SP AF 180mm F3.5 Di LD IF A-mount lens reviews
 Mestari#46961 date: Oct-28-2023 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 70-210/4 Beercan SAL 70-300G SAL 70-400G |
| price paid: | 700 (?) USD new |
| positive: | Sharpness Long minimum focus distance Easy operation of CPL Nice manual focus ring Tripod foot included Bokeh |
| negative: | Slow AF Weight |
| comment: | I wish they made it again for E mount. The working distance at 1:1 magnification is a marvel. You won't disturb insects, you have a chance to take a photo of a butterfly and it won't care if you're cautions. It shines when used with manual focus, it has good bokeh. Of course it is super sharp as most macros are (zooms can't hold a candle to this one) and is distortion free (or I can't see it). Tamron gave it an ingenious way to turn the polarizer filter. There is an external ring that you turn which in turn turns the CPL that you don't have to turn manually. Lots of turning in that sentence ;) Anyway, this way you can have the CPL and the deep lens hood on and still use it comfortably. This should be a feature on every lens. Way better than those tiny windows on hoods. I don't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but I bought it new in USA in 2007, so probably it was the asking price of 700USD. |
; 10MP| Paul G#44504 date: May-1-2020 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | have 90mm tamron macro but use this most of time as do not need to be so close to subject esp insects |
| price paid: | £300 2nd hand boxed |
| positive: | sharp, well built, filter ring |
| negative: | heavy, large size filters |
| comment: | better for using at distance esp when trying to photograph insects than 90mm macro, Better on A99ii than A65 due in camera limiter otherwise hunts for focus. |
| moedius#44263 date: Apr-24-2019 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 3 overall: 4.1 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 APO EX DG Macro II |
| price paid: | 249 USD |
| positive: | * Sharpness and general IQ is great * 1\1 @ about 1.5ft * Lightweight but decently built plastic * Removeable tripod collar * Decent bokeh and colors * Large easy to use focus ring, internal focusing * Filter ring control |
| negative: | * Plastic build * Huge lens, large front element and a massive hood * Slow focusing |
| comment: | I don't have much to compare to, this is the longest dedicated macro I have, and also has the longest lens hood I've ever owned, and the only one I have with a filter ring control. My copy came with a Tamron branded CPL, I'm not sure if that was an original accessory or if it was added by the seller, but it's a nice plus considering the largish filter ring. Focusing speed is what you would expect from a screw-driven macro lens - it's not bad but it's got a long throw. I have not had problems making it work and not had any real issues with hunting. I use the limiter whenever possible on the a77ii to assist in speed. Needed a small MFA to get AF accuracy. The lens is very sharp, even wide open, and distortion control is good. 3.5 @ 180mm creates a very thin dof, plenty of separation, and pleasant oof. Shooting towards the open end, there's a good bit of fringing, but it's not been difficult to clean up in post, unlike the CA from the Sigma 70-200\2.8 Macro II which tends to be a huge pain. I haven't intentionally created flare yet, but there's a reason it has that huge hood and you'll need it if you're shooting anywhere close to towards a bright source. Contrast and color is much better with a deep hood on. If I can get away with it I use a smaller 3rd party hood, but at least the big one is there when necessary. All told, I'm quite pleased with this lens. I can't imagine it would be an everyday carry around lens for most people, but it's a lot of bang for your buck and its a lot of fun to use, which is in many ways, the ultimate test. I haven't tried this with a 3x teleconverter or macro extension tubes yet to push the extremes, but I will try eventually. |
| petesidewalk#44196 date: Dec-14-2018 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 105mm F/2.8 Minolta 50mm F/3.5 Tamron 90mm F/2.8 |
| price paid: | 150 USD |
| positive: | Sharp Tripod Mount Bokeh Size AF-D works as well as range limiter |
| negative: | Slow Focus- as expected |
| comment: | This lens is very sharp. I am grateful to have acquired it for $150 USD in like new condition. AF-D and the distance limiter on the A99 work well with this Tamron optic. It has proven itself an excellent portrait lens and is well built. It can produce CA in some situations, but nothing that can't be easily corrected. |
| momech#40957 date: Nov-1-2017 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 100/2.8 Macro D |
| price paid: | 420 USD used |
| positive: | Sharp Light weight Working distance |
| negative: | Screw drive AF - slow and noisy No focus limiter CA in high contrast situations Appears to have same lens ID as my Minolta 100/2.8 D |
| comment: | Lack of focus limiter would be a problem for some, but the in camera limiter on my A99 II negates this problem. Easy to use in MF with focus peaking. Using it on my old A900 without these features is a completely different story. Lots of plastic, but that's why it's so light. Hand holdable if necessary, but best on a tripod, and it comes with a nice tripod mount. Lots of purple CA in bright highlights from dew drops, etc., but pretty easy to correct in post. Super thin DOF. Not going to be shooting wide open very often, but when you do it's plenty sharp enough if you nail focus. Nice colors, contrast, and bokeh. Required a massive +16 micro AF adjustment on my A99 II. And when I did this adjustment I noted that both A99 II and A900 still had adjustments I had entered for my Minolta 100/2.8 D. It appears to share the same lens ID with the Minolta, and I'm sure the Sony. This could be problematic with the SSS as this requires accurate FL for optimal performance. Easy enough to manually enter this on the A99 II but not on the A900. |
| op1318#24478 date: Jan-25-2016 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90 Macro f:2.8 |
| price paid: | 700 EUROS (new) |
| positive: | • Sharpness • Size and weight (very subjective) • Colors • Bokeh |
| negative: | Subject to chromatic aberrations in extreme conditions |
| comment: | This is my main macro lens and I love it! I use the 90mm when travelling because it is much more compact and lightweight but when size and weight are not an issue, I much prefer the 180mm (distance to subject, focal, bokeh…). This is a sharp lens. The 90mm may be just a bit sharper though. AF is quite unusable (slow and hunting) but that is not relevant for a macro lens. The lens produces exactly the images I am looking for. The colors are beautiful and the bokeh is amazing. I find that most of my pictures with this lens have been taken between f:5.6 and f:6.3. I suspect this is where the balance between sharpness, depth of field and bokeh pleases me the most. I have been using it for almost 9 years now and hope it will last forever. I mainly use it with an A77 now (because of the APS-C crop factor + focus peaking). |
| SteveNunez#23452 date: Dec-21-2015 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.1 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Allows further distances than shorter focal lengths which is a plus with both macro and portraits. |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | This lens is definitely sharp and is an incredibly good portrait lens- produces very nice images. I'm in awe of the portraits it produces when used on my full frame Sony A7II (with LAEA4 adapter.) |
| negative: | Slow AF as most have mentioned, especially evident when using as a macro lens......as a portrait lens it focuses well and should suit most users. It's a bit large especially with lens hood but at 180mm it's optics just dictate this large size as it's a FF lens. |
| comment: | This lens is a winner. As most have stated it's sharp, contrasty and does exceptionally well.....it's rather unique focal length makes it a rarely sought lens....use this to your advantage and scour eBay for a clean used one....even at new sub $700 price points it's worthy of purchasing it new! |
| capt bob#11544 date: Dec-15-2013 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90 2.8 Macro, 60 2.0 Macro , Tam 300 2.8 , Sigma 50-500 OS , Tam 200-500 , Tamron 70-210 2.8 (focus lock version), Tokina AT-X Pro 80-210 2.8 ,Minolta 500 f8 Reflex, Minolta 28-135 and several short focal Primes and Zooms. |
| price paid: | 400.00 Used |
| positive: | Very Sharp , Excellent Build Quality , Useful slide switch collar to MF , Nice rotating Ring for filter on the end, sturdy Tripod foot. Great Bokah , Easy stop down for DOF Macro, Extended Critter to Lens range. See Comments for Niche . |
| negative: | I no longer have any Gripes with the Focus speed :) , See Comments. Hood is very long and now use a Tiffin collapsible rubber hood , Serves as Bumper and now sits flat with Battery grip installed. |
| comment: | If you are Lucky enough to have an A Full Frame 99 Alpha Body and this Lens you are in for a real Treat the 99 has an onboard focus limiter and it works Stellar I mean Stellar !! No more hunting or Missed focus delay , I have been able to do MFD Macro as well as Telephoto work all AF now !! , The 180 Works well with Kenko DGX 1.4 Teleconverter with no focus problems , Also still maintains AF with Lock with the Tamron 2X SP Teleconverter ?!! Bonus this particular Tamron 180 3.5 works with the AF-D focus feature on the 99 :) an Excellent feature combination between this and the Limiter this lens is off the Charts now. I was about to sell it and buy the 150 2.8 Sigma after using it on the A77 then Got the 99 and WOW. This Lens was Made for the 99. |
| peter3400#11438 date: Nov-5-2013 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF 100 F2.8 Sigma AF 90 F2.8 Sony 70-200 AF 2.8 Sony 24-70 AF 2.8 |
| price paid: | 250 CHF |
| positive: | Super Sharp Great Bokeh Great built |
| negative: | Relatively slow AF |
| comment: | Super sharp lens with great color and smooth bokeh. AF is slow, but this is normal for a macro lens. built quality is great. highly recommended NB: i do not own nor have tested this lens ... i have the sigma version, thus my review is for sigma 180 f3.5 instead. Sorry, my mistake |
| rsf3127#11401 date: Oct-23-2013 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 2 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90mm DI macro Tamron 70-300mm DI USD Minolta 100-300mm Sony 135mm 1.8f |
| price paid: | 430 USD (used mint) |
| positive: | tack sharp for macro Bokeh buttery smooth |
| negative: | AF not practical Cannot be used as a tele prime, but this is not a negative since it is not intended to do that. |
| comment: | This lens is as sharp as the 90mm which I also own, and that is to say it is VERY sharp. Like its little brother, the AF hunts a lot, but the smaller one has a focus limit button, which the big guy lacks. So it will go back and forth a thousand precious seconds until it locks focus and your subject is already gone scared by the noise of the focus engine (not ultrasonic). So it is in fact a manual focus lens. This is not a problem since most modern Sony bodies have focus peaking and the focus ring is wide and well dampened. Manual focus is a breeze. Focus stacking is also very easy. I find the best combination is with my NEX-7, the LE-EA1, and my tripod. I set the shutter to front curtain and that is it. The good thing about the long focal length is that shy creatures are not disturbed. Don't try to use it as a tele. Focused at infinity, it is awfully soft and shows off lots of CA. |
| Mark Twain#11251 date: Jul-14-2013 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 60mm f2 Makro Minolta 300mm f2.8 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | sharp sharp sharp bokeh very solid |
| negative: | autofocus blahblah (not really a negative because unneccessary when shooting macro) |
| comment: | This is the perfect lens for doing great macro! Don't believe those who say it has a small manual focus ring and the autofocus is oh-so bad. Small focus ring? That ring is really big! And I think you're absolutely on the wrong train when you try to focus manually while doing macro... Also the build is very solid and not "plasticky" like someone else said here. And when your object is in focus it is definitely not "soft"! This lens is incredibly sharp and has a very nice bokeh and hardly any CAs. Furthermore it's very solid built. Another few words to the focus: Yes, the autofocus is very loud, yes it is very (I when I say very I mean very! Every insect is far away before focus locks in.) slow and no there is no focus limiter. But this does not matter because you can confidently turn autofocus off and work with manual focus (which is a pleasure with 10x manignification!). I've never used the autofocus of that lens and I'll never do. The lens hood is really big so I suggest either not using it when shooting shy insects or cut it in pieces. In my opinion this lens is very lightweight because I am used to my Minolta 300/2.8 which is a tank so I guess you just have to try it out. Nevertheless I strongly recommend using a tripod because 180mm is very difficult to handle without. You will lose focus and have a bad composition without. The filter control mechanism is nice and I think it is working good (I never use filter with this lens). |
| Dash66#10963 date: Mar-4-2013 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 18-250 |
| price paid: | 730 USD(New) |
| positive: | sharpness, bokah |
| negative: | weight Slow Autofocus noisy autofocus |
| comment: | I am very impressed with this lens. The photos that I have been able to take with this lens are nothing short of amazing! I never dreamed that I could take pictures that had this sort of sharpness, or had bokah that was this beautiful. To temper my enthusiasm, this IS my first macro lens, so I can't guarantee that it takes better pictures than any other macro lens, but to me the quality of the results is incredible. My negatives run along with what I've read from most reviews for this lens. First, the lens is heavy. For this reason, I'm glad that some of the lens body is made out of plastic. That makes it a bit lighter than an all metal lens body would be. Next, the Autofocus. The autofocus is slow to lock on, and the motor is a bit noisy, but I've been primarily using manual focus, so that hasn't been much of an issue for me. Then again, if the Autofocus was quicker, I might use it more often. |
| lmt#10552 date: Oct-2-2012 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 200mm HS APO MInolta 100-400mm APO |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Extremely sharp wide opened ADI compatible which may be helpful when using with Sony/Sigma macro flashes. Color/bokeh... and everything you want to check |
| negative: | No focusing limit not fast auto focusing |
| comment: | Extremely sharp at wide opened. The same WOW affect when I use 200mm APO HS. At f3.5, the bokeh of this lens is a little bt smoother than Min apo 200mm APO (due to the polygon shaped of highlight bokeh on Min 200 APO HS) Not fast focus when using it as a portrait lens. It's extremely sharp. I wish this lens has a focusing limit. I do not want to pay more than $2500 for the Minolta APO 200 F4 Macro. grab this lens instead! |
| fute77#10316 date: Jun-20-2012 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 100/2.8 macro |
| price paid: | 500 |
| positive: | build quality image quality focus ring tripod collar |
| negative: | slow af no focus limiter size (lens + hood) |
| comment: | I have been very impress when receiveing the lense. It is huge (especially with the hood) and having a battery grip is a plus for a better hold The image I got from its use are very sharp. The color offered by that lens are exactly what I like I am waiting to test it on a FF camera but for me it is a must have however, it is not easy to make some portrait or "on fly" pictures because of the lack of limiter and in lens motor I put this lens in the group of lens I won't sell Update : I now have an Alpha 77, and I must say that I am still very happy I use a tripod for lots of macro it is just very sharp |
| Hotdog#9881 date: Feb-4-2012 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 150 macro Canon fit |
| price paid: | £475 |
| positive: | Nicely built Quiet Sharp Good image quality Not too heavy |
| negative: | No limiter Fiddly manual focus on Sony |
| comment: | I have been using this lens extensively now and have to say I am very impressed with it! . Compared to a Sigma 150 macro i used when I was on the dark side ( Canon) I find it quite similar. The weight and reach are not that different although the Tamron hood is huge. The autofocus is not as bad as some make out. I think if you have used a variety of macro lenses than you soon realise that "they all do that sir" is true. The manual focus is excellent its just a shame its a two stage clunky affair on a Sony. Optically is is very sharp even when wide open. and the bokeh is superb Due to the length and weight I prefer to use it on a monopod as opposed to hand held. |
| heivalido#9713 date: Dec-24-2011 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 70-210 F4 Beercan |
| price paid: | 699 euro |
| positive: | Sharp, Huge focus ring, Strong build, |
| negative: | Needs lots of practice, Heavy |
| comment: | Not the most easy lens to use for macro but after a lot of practice and dissapointments it will deliver razor sharp macro's The 180mm makes it possible to shoot insects without scaring them. The body is heavy and strong, not much plastic, mostly metal. I`ve concidered a lot of lensen and I `m happy with my choice for the Tamron 180mm |
| eccles#9128 date: Jun-13-2011 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta series 1 100mm macro Sony 70-300mm G Sony 70-400mm G |
| price paid: | £400UK mint |
| positive: | Sharp at all apertures Light for the focal length Removable tripod collar Superb bokeh |
| negative: | Front focussing on 4 different bodies Noisy, slow AF No focus range limiter |
| comment: | The lens uses a fair amount of plastic in its construction which makes it lighter than you would expect, but it still feels quite well constructed. AF is by means of mechanical screw rather than an internal SSM motor which means it is noisy when autofocussing (more on this later). The lens will focus down to 1:1, i.e. at the closest focus point an object the size of the sensor will fill the frame, and because of its 180mm focal length allows this to be attained at about a foot from the front of the lens. The hood is also well made and has a bayonet attachment. First and foremost, the lens that I acquired from a Dyxum seller front focusses on both my A700 and A100, and also on a friend's A900 and A55. Since I don't use the A100, only keeping it in case something horrible happens to the A700, I decided to alter the AF setting of the A100 with the 3 screws trick so that the Tamron was acccurate. This essentially made it a one-lens camera since most likely all other lenses will now backfocus. The friend has since purchased a new copy which also front focusses and has returned it for replacement. Many people manually focus macro lenses so this may or may not be a problem for you. In operation on the modified A100 it can take ages to cycle through the focus range if it misses AF on the first pass, and can sometimes just get stuck in the middle. In these instances I have to turn off the camera to reset the lens to infinity, and back on again. Inexplicably for a macro lens, there is no focus range limiter. The extra focal length compared to the Minolta means greater working distance but it does increase camera shake. Alpha cameras all have sensor based stabilisation but it doesn't work miracles and I found a monopod to be just about mandatory with this lens. Increasing the working distance over the 100mm macro can sometimes be a double edged sword, and I sometimes found myself getting too close to a damselfly and having to move back in order to get the whole insect in. An overriding reason for getting any fixed focal length macro lens is its optical prowess, and thankfully, the Tamron does well in this respect; it is sharp to very sharp at all apertures up to f11 beyond which diffraction becomes significant. Lateral CA is very low. If compared to my Minolta 100mm macro lens I would say that perhaps the Minolta just edges it with slightly finer micro detail and more saturated colours. The Tamron's colour balance is slightly cooler than the Minolta. There is one area where this lens is outstanding, and that is its bokeh, i.e. out-of-focus areas, which is buttery smooth with no noticeable longitudinal CA. It is the lens's prowess in this area combined with impressive sharpness that makes me forgive its somewhat cludgy operation. Would I buy it again? Possibly, but given the front-focussing issue, I'd probably wait for the A700 replacement which is rumoured to have AF micro adjustment. I suggest you test one before buying it. Update for SLT-A77: AF micro-adjustment requires a whopping +18 to fix the front focussing on my copy and it still hunts like crazy on the A77. It's a lens I love to hate for its slow, noisy autofocussing, and no focus limiter. But with focus peaking to fall back on if it fails to get a lock, and superb sharpness and bokeh, it's a very useful lens on the A77. With the Minolta 200mm F4 macro as rare as hens' teeth and having a price tag to match the Tamron is a worthwhile alternative if you need a long macro lens. |
| mambo#9038 date: May-20-2011 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50mm f/2.8 macro Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di macro |
| price paid: | 650 USD |
| positive: | IQ Easy to MF |
| negative: | No focus limiter Slow AF (what do you expect from a mcro lens The tamron plasticky feel |
| comment: | this is a big brother to my much loved tammy 90mm macro. It is as sharp, not too heavy, and in my opinion, is designed for MF. It is a poor man's Mino 200f/4, but I am not sure that I am missing anything. A fantastic investment. |
| Shearwater#8945 date: Apr-18-2011 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 3 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 70 mm macro |
| price paid: | 700 USD |
| positive: | Sharp, seems well built, a very good macro with a few faults Excellent reach |
| negative: | No focus limiter Hunts in AF MF is touchy |
| comment: | I use this almost exclusively on a tripod with manual focusing. Like most macros it is close to perfect optically. Functionally it has a couple of problems. 1. The manual focus ring is geared too high - very small movements make fairly large changes in focus. In addition, the ring doesn't move smoothly. 2. To switch from AF to MF on a Sony body requires two steps. The camera body first has to be switched to MF and then a ring on the lens has to be pushed out to release a clutch. I believe the lens was designed for Canikon cameras where only the clutch release needs to be changed to switch from AF to MF. |
| melgerllc#8944 date: Apr-18-2011 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 3 flare control: 3 overall: 3.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90mm macro 2.8 Minolta 100 Macro 2.8 |
| price paid: | Retail |
| positive: | its a macro |
| negative: | noisy no limiter drains battery in no time |
| comment: | I have been waiting and waiting for this lens. Finally, it arrived. Out the door we went. Within an hour, I knew this lens was going back. The lens hunting far too much to my liking. If I have to use a $700 lens in manual (which I can) to capture some decent shots (which I did) but honestly, 80% or more of the test card were not even worthy of keeping. In less than an hour, the battery was dead. I went and grabbed an extra battery charged up and put on my Minolta 100mm 2.8 macro and put those images on the same card. Honestly, with the factor of making this about 150mm on a digital body there was perhaps a greater satisfaction with the Minolta. This was all tested on an alpha 100. I also have the alpha 350 and the a55. Doubtful putting this on a higher mp body would improve the performance. Hunt and batter drain is hunt and battery drain. UPDATE: I have decided to keep this lens and give it more time so we can become friends. A key to my purchase was all the positives read right here on DYXUM, long before I became a member. I will spend more time with the manual mode as well as use extension tubes or teleconverters. One day (or an hour or two) is not time enough to adequate praise or condemn a highly regarded piece of glass. |
| Jezebel_Jones#8083 date: Oct-12-2010 | |
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sharpness: 3 color: 3 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 2 overall: 3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 90mm Macro. |
| price paid: | $190 |
| positive: | Cheap, that's about it. |
| negative: | It is noisy, it takes forever to focus, hunting up and down all the time, it has no limiter to help stop this. Very "plasticky" in its build, very hard to get a good shot. |
| comment: | This lens is very frustrating, it is a real battle to get a shot, and most of the time when you do it is very soft. I bought it because of good reviews on here, even though several photographer friends told me it had a bad reputation. I battled with it for three months, then bought a Sigma 90mm Macro which is a dream by comparison. I have mine up for sale at the moment, but there is no interest in it. |
| DarkScribe#8066 date: Oct-9-2010 | |
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sharpness: 3.5 color: 4 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 3 overall: 3.5 | tested on:
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| 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. |
| AlphaMan#7951 date: Sep-7-2010 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50/2.8 macro Minolta 100/2.8 macro Sony 70-300G |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp Bokeh weight |
| negative: | no focus limiter hunts |
| comment: | The only faults are the focus hunting and lack of a focus limiter. This isn't a real issue for macro work as manual focus is preferred. This is an excellent macro lens and very useful for isolating subjects from their background and for shy insects, etc. It is also a wonderful portrait lens for that tightly cropped look. I wanted one for years and am now very pleased to have one. Works beautifully on my A700 and A900 producing lovely images. It can easily apparently miss-focus at the widest aperture, however this is a depth of field/handling issue not a quality one. Not a lens for the inexperienced. |
| manukaing#7675 date: Jul-10-2010 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | really sharp nice bokeh beautiful color |
| negative: | missing |
| comment: | this is the best macro lens I ever had.... |
| dominik#7190 date: Mar-29-2010 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 3 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | sigma 105/2.8 macro, sony 30/2.8 macro, minolta 50/2.8 macro |
| price paid: | about $500 |
| positive: | Great optical performance, additional ring for filters very light cheap |
| negative: | AF is slow and noisy, no limiter on such lens I needed to calibrate it on A900 to -4 to have accurate AF |
| comment: | I think it's now the best macro in sony/minolta system except very specific minolta 1-3X macro lens. It's cheap and with great optical results. |
| Brokenman808#6514 date: Dec-4-2009 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 180mm Macro Minolta 200mm Macro Tamron 90mm |
| price paid: | $600 |
| positive: | Great distance, just as sharp as 90mm, Sharp, great bokeh |
| negative: | AF is slow but to be expected |
| comment: | This lens rocks! Love the extra working distance with this lens. This lens is solid, sharp and bokeh is buttery smooth. I have the 90mm as well and the 180mm is every bit as wonderful. It is a little heavy but not to difficult to work with. A limiter would have been nice. Bottome line, this is a great lens. Your macros will thank you for this. |
| David_S#6088 date: Sep-19-2009 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90mm macro |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | good colors, nice sharp images as long as I hold it steady |
| negative: | Lack of a focus limit switch |
| comment: | I shoot almost entirely hand held so it's a bit more to steady than the 90mm macro but the 180mm delivers as long as I do my part. AF hunts a bit but so does every other macro lens I've used. I almost always use MF and tend to rock back and forth to get my subject in focus. I shoot mostly flowers and bugs and shoot for recreation not for $$ so this lens works well for my needs. The extra working distance is nice for shy creatures. |
| terrylloydsmith#5209 date: Apr-10-2009 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50/2.8 macro Minolta 100/2.8 macro |
| price paid: | $569 USD after rebate |
| positive: | Light weight for a long-range macro. Very sharp Nice colors Nice bokeh |
| negative: | None for me |
| comment: | I finally purchased this long macro after thinking about it for a few months. My conclusion is this: It's a beautifully performing lens and I think easily matches my 50 and 100mm Minolta macros. The price was right...the next day prices went up $70. Still a bargain. If you cannot find or afford the Minolta 200 f4 macro (I couldn't) then I think this is the way to go. The build quality is excellent IMHO. No complaints here either. However the lack of a focus-limiter bothers some people but I find I don't miss it too much. I prefer to manually focus macro pictures, and macro photography is why I purchased this lens. Highly recommended. |
| SerdarA#4761 date: Jan-29-2009 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro |
| price paid: | 615 USD (new) |
| positive: | - Working distance - Internal focusing design - Tripod collar |
| negative: | - Lack of focus limiter |
| comment: | IAfter using this lens for more than a year, I am still in love with it. I recently paired it with a Metz 15 MS-1 and even tried it with a 1.4X TC for higher magnification. I no longer consider the lack of a focus limiter a negative since I always use manual focus with this lens (or just focus to 1:1 and then make the final adjustments with my feet). The entire rig is heavy, I would recommend using a shoulder (i.e. blackrapid) type strap instead of a neck strap. Then, the weight becomes a non-issue. |
| dilettante#3800 date: Jul-3-2008 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Cosina 100/3.5 |
| price paid: | Ł440 |
| positive: | Sharp Well built Smooth bokeh |
| negative: | Big and heavy (as you'd expect) No focus limiter for AF (but I never use AF on this lens) |
| comment: | I love using this lens - the working distance is a big plus for insects, and the narrower field of view makes it easier to get uncluttered out of focus backgrounds. Sharpness is great when you get it right, though its weight and size mean I get best results using a tripod, which is not always easy when stalking insects in the field. The tripod collar is good to have - apart from the obvious balance advantage, it makes it easy to rotate the camera between landscape and portrait or anywhere in between without have to radically reframe on the tripod. I've given it a lot of 5's but I don't have much to compare it against. I've never seen any flare, and it has a good hood, so 5 there. Haven't noticed any colour or distortion problems, so 5 again. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 38
- sharpness: 4.78
- color: 4.68
- build: 4.29
- distortion: 4.74
- flare control: 4.42
- overall: 4.58
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