Hin's Tech Corner

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di) Test Shots

I am in full circle looking for a good 1:1 macro lens. I have used Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Dental Macro, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro EX (non-DG) and now my latest is with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di). The lens has done great for me for Portraits. I have coffee with my sweetie who normally doesn't enjoy my hobby and I invited her for a photo shoot with a dress I bought her from Macau in last visit. I love her and I want her to love the results. Though I am not a portrait persons as I don't have any skills in flash, I am confident that she will love the series and that I will do better next time.

Test Photos:

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MyBook 640gig Hard Disk

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Impressions & Notes:

Like many comments about this macro lens that can double up as a portrait lens. I am totally sold on the lens after the portrait shoot with my sweetie
Pictures are quite sharp. Test shots in f/2.8 comes out very satisfactory
Build of Tamron is not as good as Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro EX (non-DG) that I have used before. The front of the Tamron is protruding to great length while the Sigma is minimal in protrusion in the front as far as my memory recalls. I have sold my Sigma and I kind of missed the build quality on the Sigma. In terms of build quality, the Sigma wins it hands down from the lens holsster to the lens barrel and others. The focus limiter is better designed in the Tamron
PF is well controlled, but it is almost absent in the Sigma. I think Sigma will beat Tamron in terms of PF control
Minimum focusing distance is a bit better in the Sigma than the Tamron
In terms of portrait, the Tamron wins it hand down without a doubt but I will think the Sigma will do very well if a mid tele-lens is what you are after.
I will see my Tamron competing with my use for portraits with Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 but the Pentax is way faster and it will be more suited for indoor shooting or situations that demand faster speed
Overall, I am very happy with the lens purchase. I first thought I would need to trim this lens and go for the DG version of Sigma. I have changed my mind after 1 day of testing the lens.

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f/2.8 (M42) Test Shots

I finally managed to take this lens out and have a very nice Friday morning coffee with my wife in Mission Coffee in Fremont. Though I have purchased a 1/4" to 3/8" screw mount tripod adapter, I just casually tested the lens without a tripod. Thought it is a bit big for my hands and heavy to carry around, I find it very charming to use. And in discussions with others who know about this lens, I learn that this is a very lens that are produced in Pentacon 6 mount in Germany and it was in the 1930's that the Germany used it as a telescope in the Olympic game. Some pictures of my beloved Zebra Football lens used as a telescope can be seen in cameraquest.com.

I am very impressed with this lens and after I sold my copy to my friend, i have ordered my 2nd copy that cost me more in terms of money but I am in love of this lens due to its history, character and performance. Due to its large lens hood that ends with 119mm lens cap, I can hear a very distinct shutter noise of my K10D in every picture through the viewfinder. Just that snapping noise is worth my troubles in going after the 2nd copy. I truly hope that my 2nd copy can produce pictures as good as my 1st copy. Most test shots are done in f/4.0 and f/2.8.

Test Photos:

With this lens mounted on my Pentax K10D, I stand taller and even Freckle, a 17 year female dog, slow down for me to take a shot. This is indeed a very difficult lens to use and I have given my buddies these suggestions for mounting. Due to the screw mount nature, we can think of screwing our Pentax dSLR body onto the lens where the lens is laid flat on its lens cap vertically.

Impressions & Notes:

Lens wide open in f/2.8 is very sharp
Though a big bulky and heavy, I find it comfortable to hold (for short period)
Shutter noise is echoed through the large lens hood and it is a sound you can't have in a limited or star lens
Picture quality is amazing. I see some lost of contrast in brightly lid areas. More test will tell
Focusing ring is big but I find it very reasonable to outstanding in focusing. A monopod with the tripod screw may help a bit in the focusing as it is non trivial to hold it steady while focusing.
Stop down metering is accurate in day time shooting
Shooting in indoor seems very adequate in daytime. I find the use of f/2.8 quite good with the lens

Mounting Suggestions Steps:

Have cap & lens hood on the zebra football lens
Place lens on vertical orientation with front cap facing down
mount genuine adapter on body as usual
Screw camera onto the big lens

Pentax 300mm f/4.0

Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 Tokina, Pentax 300mm f/4.0, Carl Zeiss 180mm f/2.8 (M42)

I am in full blown LBA buying modes. I don't need a long glass as I do have a Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro that cover my need in 300mm and with the Pentax F-1.7x AF TC and Tamron Pz-AF 1.4x TC, I can go to 340mm and 510mm the expensive of losing 1.5 and 1 aperture full stops.

When I see the combined sale from another Pentaxian with Pentax F-1.7x AF TC, I went for this 300mm, which many have called the good 300mm on the budget minded. I bought way too many lens that I can afford to explore. It is such a shame that I only tested this lens on Veteran day where I can't ship out the lens to a wonderful buyer. Test shots from far away objects are amazing sharp, even wide open in f/4.0 aperture. It is a heavy lens and it has a long length and without tripod colar but I still find it very useable in hand-holding for far distance in the 1/2 mile range. I find myself looking for bracing the hands in taking the shot. All test shots are done hand-held fashion with some bracing on a rail. Ideally, I look for a flat wall to back me up for my preference in bracing shots at ease of my back.

Test Photos:

All test shots are done hand-held and the views go through a glass window which may hamper the sharpness in the test shots.

f/8.0

f/4.0

Impressions & Notes:

Very dependable long tele
Pictures are amazingly sharp wide open
Really prime quality as compared to my consumer zoom lens in Tamron 70-300 Di LD
Lens is manual focus and metering but that does not bother me
Focusing is quite good for this long and heavy lens
Still possible to do hand-holding. I am surprised! Though a bit tired, but bracing and proper standing with nearby objects can support the shot taking with this heavy lens
Lens don't come with tripod collar, I see people using self made tele lens support
PF is not easily found in test shots
Lens has a built in lens hood which is excellent
Lens has a good build quality of good old K version of Pentax lens
Highly recommended and I would buy again if I manage to trim other lens in the next round

Cosina 55mm f/1.2

This Cosina 55mm f/1.2 is my fastest lens in my gear. When I first saw this from my friend Miserere, I would play it down as I already have a fast Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 and I love my Pentax 50mm. I also had the manual focus Pentax A 50mm f/1.7 which is sharper than my f/1.4 though slower. Call it peer pressures or one's thoughts of green pastures from over the fence to another photographer, I come to realize the usefulness of having a lens that allow me using ISO 200 instead of ISO 400 in my K10D. It is a shame that 3 weeks has passed and I don't have a single picture other than a product shot of Pentax F 35-135 f/3.5-4.5 which I had trimmed in my gear list

Test shot in ISO 200 indoor
1/80 sec

The initial impressions get me blown away and I sent a gratitude message to my good friend Miserere for holding his last copy of Cosina 55mm f/1.2 for me. I am yet to use it in night shooting and I love to push my hand-holding limits to the range of 1/8 to 1/3 seconds. This lens will allow me to go in ISO 200 instead of ISO 400.

Related:

Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited purchase

I hope that I can explain to someone that I can justify to buy this lens together with Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 limited as a pair in silver color. I originally plan for getting Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro as I like to get a good AF prime and double up for close up in street shooting. When I saw this lens with FA 77mm f/1.8 as a pair, I asked about this lens from the previous owner. Before I knew it, my paypal was sent along with that for Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 limited. I have no regrets yet but I have to find the strength and ways to justify the cost of my most expensive single lens ever purchased. I chose this over Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited for several reasons

It is faster speed in f/1.8 and it makes a difference for indoor shooting. Pentax are not well known for noise and anything gained from faster speed in lens are very welcome.
Full frame compatibiliy. Though I don't have any film body, I expect to have some potential gear that go with a full frame film body such as my previous favorite film body with Pentax Pz-1 or Pentax Super Program
Size and aperture control on lens. I love lens that offer me choice
The Pentax 31mm limited is considered as the likely the best prime lens ever produced by Pentax