Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

by Tamron

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007YZLIU
• Item model number: AFB01M-700
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This unique high-performance telephoto macro lens is equally at home in the field and in the studio, providing outstanding image quality at all distances, plus an extra-long working distance for unsurpassed subject access. An advanced optical design incorporating special LD glass and internal focusing (IF), it has a handy Filter Effect Control (FEC) ring for adjusting polarizing filters and an AF/MF ring for easier switching from manual to auto-focus.

Focus fast & easy with Internal Focus (IF)

SP AF180mm F/3.5 Di Features

Di
Digitally Integrated Design (Di), is a designation Tamron puts on lenses featuring optical systems designed to meet the performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras.

Enhance the ease of your polarizing filter use

Filter Effect Control (FEC)to Enhance the Operational Ease of your Polarizing Filter Use
The Filter Effect Control is designed to rotate the filter to the desired position while the hood is attached. This is accomplished by turning the FEC ring that in turn rotates the portion of the filter mount where the filter is mounted.

Internal Focusing (IF) System
Internal focusing provides numerous practical benefits to photographers including a non-rotating front filter ring that facilitates the positioning of polarizing and graduated filters, and more predictable handling because the lens length does not change during focusing. Even more important, Tamron’s Internal Focusing (IF) system provides a much closer minimum focusing distance (MFD) throughout its entire focusing range. In addition, IF improves optical performance by minimizing illumination loss at the corners of the image field, and helps to suppress other aberrations that become more troublesome at different focusing positions.

Super Performance (SP) for Discriminating Shooters
Tamron SP (Super Performance) series is a line of ultra-high-performance lenses designed and manufactured to the exacting specifications demanded by professionals and others who require the highest possible image quality. In creating SP lenses Tamron’s optical designers put their foremost priority on achieving superior performance parameters—they are all designed to a higher standard with little regard for cost constraints. As a result, Tamron lenses bearing the SP designation feature impressive and innovative designs that have established an enviable reputation for excellence among those knowledgeable photographers that demand the very best.

Low Dispersion (LD) glass reduces chromatic aberration

Low Dispersion (LD) Glass for Greater Lens Sharpness
Low dispersion (LD) glass elements in a lens help reduce chromatic aberration; the tendency of light of different colors to come to different points of focus at the image plane. Chromatic aberration reduces the sharpness of an image, but glass with an extremely lowdispersion index, has less of a tendency to separate (defract) a ray of light into a rainbow of colors. This characteristic allows the lens designer to effectively compensate for chromatic aberration at the center of the field (on axis), a particular problem at long focal lengths (the telephoto end of the zoom range), and for lateral chromatic aberration (towards the edges of the field) that often occurs at short focal lengths (the wide-angle end of the zoom range.)

Auto-focus/Manual-focus (AF/MF) Switch Mechanism on the Focus Ring
The ability to switch quickly between auto-focus (AF) and manual-focus (MF) is a great asset in many types of shooting, especially sports and nature photography. This is easily accomplished with Tamron’s ingenious AF/MF system. By simply sliding the focus ring back and forth between the two positions you can select either the AF or MF focusing position. In manual-focus mode Tamron lenses provide smooth, precise manual focusing by turning their wide, well-textured focusing rings.

Quicly switch between auto-focus (AF) and manual-focus (MF)

Product Description

Di%3A Digitally Integrated Design%2C is a designation Tamron puts on lenses featuring optical systems designed to meet the performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras%2E%0D%0A %0D%0AThis lens employs an IF %28Internal Focusing%29 system that maintains the overall length of the lens during focusing%2E Uses two LD %28Low Dispersion%29 glass elements that effectively compensate for chromatic aberration%2E Provides high%2Dcontrast%2C outstanding image quality and a soft out%2Dof%2Dfocus background effect%2E Super performance series provides high performance through outstanding design specifications%2E%0D%0A %0D%0AFEC %28Filter Effect Control%29%3A Features the new FEC %28Filter Effect Control%29 function that enhances operational ease of Polarizing Filter use%2E The new Filter Effect Control is designed to rotate the filter to the desired position while the hood is attached%2E This is accomplished by turning the FEC ring that in turn rotates the portion of the filter mount where the filter is mounted%2E

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent macro lens for insects, April 19, 2011

By 

Serd Asta (Gainesville, FL, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I owned this lens for almost three years and I find it to be a perfect fit for the task it was designed: portraits of bugs and flies. You can use it for portraits of people, but don't even think about this lens as a substitute for a 200mm f/2.8. The autofocus is awfully slow and noisy. The A850 firmware 2.0 slightly improved this situation. When shooting macros, I generally use the lens in manual focus mode so neither the focusing speed or noise is a concern. Thanks to the long focal length, I have a large working distance and take my pictures without scaring the insect and causing it to fly away. Even though the lens has only 7 blades, I have no complaints about the bokeh. It is sharp, easy to manual focus (especially with the M-type focusing screen) thanks to the large focusing ring, and the internal focusing design keeps the size constant (and minimizes the risk of sucking in dust).

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quality Control Problems and very slow focus, March 16, 2011

By 

Naveed (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

The copy I had didn't autofocus correctly, it had a back focusing problem. But even ignoring this, the autofocus was so ridiculously slow it was practically unusable. As someone else said, you could go get a cup of coffee while this thing focused.

PROS:
- Very sharp, even wide open
- Good build quality

CONS:
- Unusable autofocus
- Quality control issues

It could be used as a manual focus lens, but for that, there might be cheaper options available.

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Such a shame, November 12, 2009

By 

Designed to work (On the edge.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Image quality is just astounding. I love the pics I took with this lens.
When I purchased the lens I realized that the focus was a little forward, but as it's a macro I'd only be using manual focus.
All was going well until it started to auto focus when both the camera and the lens were in manual focus mode.
I have returned it today and miss it already.