Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Model 272EE)

by Tamron

• Lens Construction (Groups/Elements): 9/10
• Angle of View: 27°
• Minimum Focus: 11.4in.(0.29m)
• Filter Diameter: ř55
• Diameter x Length: ř2.8 x 3.8in. (ř71.5 x 97mm)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.3 x 2 inches ; 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00021EEA4
• Item model number: 272EE
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Style: For Canon DSLR Cameras

From the Manufacturer

The latest version of the venerable Tamron 90mm Macro, this lens is widely used by naturalists and other pros who need top imaging performance plus a longer lens-to-subject (working) distance to enable easier lighting and access to skittish subjects. Improved resolution, chromatic correction, and coatings make it a superb choice for full-frame or APS-C format SLRs. Tamron introduces a new version of the famous 90mm macro lens for film and digital photography. Tamron's 90mm macro lens, often referred to as "the portrait macro" and loved by photographers all over the world, is now reborn as a Di lens that is perfect for use with both film and digital cameras. The item includes soft cover, lens covers (back and front) and the hood.

Easier lighting and access to skittish subjects

SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di Features

Portrait macro shot

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.

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.

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

The 90mm f/2.8 high-performance macro lens is ideal for portraiture and close-up photography. It captures powerful sharp images with a background blur. This lightweight, portable lens features Di (Digitally Integrated Design), multi-coating to its element surfaces, to improve performance with Digital SLRs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 105 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent choice for macro & closeups January 25, 2006

By Michael Sandman

Style Name:For Canon DSLR Cameras

This is an excellent choice if you're interested in close-up and macrophotography -- it's sharp corner-to-corner, and you get life-size photos down to the size of a large bug. Usually you end up focusing macro shots manually, and the Tamron manual focus ring travels about 270 degrees, giving lots of smooth fine-tuning capability.

For portraits and medium telephoto shots, the autofocus capability works well but it's audible. You can set a limiting switch so that it won't hunt through the entire range, from 8" to infinity. It's easy to switch from autofocus to manual by feel -- you can do it without moving your eye from the viewfinder.

There are probably better choices if you want to do portraits first and macrophotography second -- Canon's 100mm and Sigma's 105mm macros, in particular, but the Tamron is an excellent choice for macro work.

The lens body is plastic, so it's lighter than OEM lenses from Canon & Nikon. The light weight makes one wonder about how rugged it is, but it feels well put together, and anyway you shouldn't be using a lens to drive nails.

Note that the 90mm designation applies only to full frame SLRs. On digital SLRs like the Canon 300D & 350D or the Nikon D50 & D70, the lens gives you an effecive focal length of about 130mm. So you get a bit more working distance for macro subjects, but you may have to stand back too far from the subject for portraiture.

132 of 135 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Updated (again) thoughts on the Tamron 90mm October 6, 2006

By M. Boone

Style Name:For Nikon DSLR Cameras|Amazon Verified Purchase

(Another year and one repair later, I still love this lens. Original review first followed by updates.)

First impression: right out of the box, this lens is smaller than I pictured. I had experience with the Sigma 105mm, and this is easily smaller and lighter. For travel purposes, it is ideal, plastic build or not.

I did get a few surprises when I put it on the camera (D70), so anyone thinking about purchasing this lens should pay attention. This info is already out there, I just didn't notice and was almost disappointed at first.

1: This lens is only 2.8 at 10 feet to infinity. The maximum aperture drops as you focus closer, and at minimum focusing distance, where many will want to work to get the true 1:1, it is all the way down to 5.6. That was quite a shock at first, but I soon found that at such close range, even 5.6 gives you very shallow depth of field. It just means less speed, so a tripod will almost always be necessary unless you are really good at hand-holding.

2: The switch between auto and manual focus requires you to push or pull the focus ring. I should have known this after working with the Sigma 105mm, but it is not obvious on this lens and I had to check the instructions. lol.

Again, this information is in other reviews, and it may be obvious to most users, but anyone new to macro should keep it in mind to avoid any surprises.

UPDATE: I've left off the old review taken from my first few shots, as I have much more experience to pull from now.

This lens captures beautiful photos, that much is certain. I have not tested the Nikon 105mm VR lens, but from the examples I've seen, this lens can still hold its own, even without VR. (I used to think VR was meaningless on a macro lens, but I have found many times when it would be useful.)

Strong points:
* Bokeh (out of focus rendering) is stunning
* Color is rich (super color with D70, can't wait to see what it does with a D300!)
* Lens is light, less than half the weight of the Nikon 105mm VR
* Focus ring is large and easy to use

Weak points:
* Auto-focus is slow, noisy, and hunts a bit at times
* Lens is not fixed length, short when focusing at infinity, extends out when focusing closer, a significant amount
* Plastic build (doesn't bother me, but some don't like it)

For my money, the pros far outweigh the cons here. I use this lens a lot for product photography (at work), non-macro flower and other small items, but I almost never take it all the way to 1:1 because I'm often too lazy to get out the tripod, or not in a situation where a tripod is usable.

One thing to note: auto-focus has recently started acting up on my D70. For a few weeks it would refuse to auto-focus, I would reboot the camera, take the lens off and put it on again, and it would start working until I turned the camera off once more. Most recently I have not been able to get the auto-focus to work at all. (It is the only lens in my kit that does this, so I don't believe it is the camera.) Since the auto-focus is always slow anyway, I've taken to keeping it in manual focus and just dealing with it. It's a hassle at times, but it does not detract from my enjoyment of this lens.

UPDATE #2: Tamron warranty and service are incredible!

As mentioned above, the auto-focus eventually stopped working completely with both my D70 and D300. All Tamron USA lenses come with a 6 year warranty (6 years!) so I printed a receipt off Amazon, filled out a simple form, and put it in the mail. A couple weeks later I received notice that it was being repaired, no charge of course, and it gave me an order number to track it.

I was leaving on a trip a few days later and didn't want it sitting outside my house while I was gone, so I contacted Tamron service department to see if I could change the shipping address. It had already shipped out and would be at my house within the week. Unlucky for me it arrived the day I left, but I had someone take it inside for me the next day, so no worries. It has been tested and works perfectly! 5 additional stars for Tamron's repair department!

I would recommend this lens to anyone wanting to do macro work, portraiture, product photography, or any not-quite-macro nature shots with lots of color.

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a lens at a reasonable price March 25, 2007

By P. Lastra

Style Name:For Canon DSLR Cameras

I am professional photographer specializing in botanical and nature photography. The 90mm has proven to be excellent optically as well as ergonomically well designed. The light weight, for its size, coupled with the very intuitive af-mf push-pull design are great in the field. I work at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden in Miami. For images taken with the above lens, please visit [...].

This lens has a couple little advertised qualities which make it double as a superb portrait lens:
First, it is not bittingly sharp wide open at f2.8, just about perfect for softening skin flaws, Stopped down to f5.6 and beyond, this lens is simply too sharp and contrasty for the average face. Second, wide open and at f4, this lens produces very attractive out of focus backgrounds, perfect for outdoor portraiture, where backgrounds can easily be distracting and intrusive.
Regards