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03-01-2009, 07:51 PM   #1
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Tamron SP 70-210mm f/3.5 (19AH) adaptall Lens

According to Mike.P and this site in adaptall-2,

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 70-210mm F/3.5 Model 19AH

The Tamron 19AH lens is better in performance than the Vivitar Series 1 zooms -- Hin's Tech Corner. And I tested a used copy of this legendary adaptall lens this weekend. It is quite a good zoom. Though the weight is about the same as the Komine copy v3 in Vivitar Series 1, the length is longer making it harder to handle. The battery grip does help a bit in the balance.

Some test shots


San Francisco New China Town



PF hinting in roof top









SF Golden Gate Park
Flower Consvertary








PF seems around the bike
Maybe the bike color








Any owner with this lens, please share your thoughts?

I used to rely on my Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/2.8-4.0 from Komine as my go-to zoom in that range, now I am not sure as I find great competition between the two. Close up in 1:2.6 in 210mm end is not as good and easy when I tried it first time as the Vivitar, but the portraits and candid street shots give good color and offer quite a lot of details for a zoom. Though it is a one-touch zoom design, it offer less zoom creep than the Vivitar. Focusing ring is top notch for manual focusing in both the Tamron and the Vivitar, and I can't tell which one is better. As for handling, the Vivitar is easier as it is shorter and less bulky. The Tamron is about similar weight and about 1.5 inches longer. It has a unique design in the zoom ring that doubles up as a lens hood. Will document more with product shots next time.


Last edited by hinman; 03-03-2009 at 08:49 PM.
03-01-2009, 08:20 PM   #2
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Thanks in particular to Mike.P who got me interested in this lens when I post pictures on the Vivitar Series 1 zoom.

Thanks,
Hin
03-01-2009, 08:58 PM   #3
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Oh Hin! The Tamron 19AH is fairly legendary and in its day was major competition for the Series 1 Vivitar. I was in the camera/lens market back then and really wanted one, but could not manage the expense for the SP lens.

Were you able to compare flare resistance? The BBAR coating was supposed to be almost as good as the SMC and T* products.

Steve
03-01-2009, 10:33 PM   #4
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i bought mine from KEH last year for $53 as a bargain grade. It had a dented filter thread ring but good glass. I have been very pleasantly surprised at the image quality. I use it both on my Nikon system and Pentax system. Now I am using it on my Panasonic G1 with an adaptall to M42 screw mount adapter.

Since last year I have been "collecting" a bunch of Tamron adaptall lenses and I really enjoy using them.

The first image is with the even less expensive 85 to 210 f4.5 Tamron adaptall 2.
The next image is with the 70 to 210 f3.5 SP.
The last one is with the 04B 200 mm f3.5 fixed focal length.


Last edited by HansenTsang; 04-07-2009 at 10:03 PM.
03-02-2009, 01:53 AM   #5
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I like mine so much I bought a spare.









Or if you want closer then match it up with the Tamron 01F 2x Teleconverter.

Uncropped.


Last edited by Mike.P®; 03-02-2009 at 09:58 AM.
03-02-2009, 11:21 AM   #6
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@Mike

Those are wonderful pictures. I am thankful to you for showing us your pictures. My copy of 19AH doesn't come with a lens hood. I have a difficult time finding a lens hood as the zoom has a partial lens hood when extending to 210mm end. And non-genuine lens hood may not work with the zoom design. The lens at shortest length is at 70mm without zooming and the 1:2.6 is at the far end with 210mm and I find it harder to hand-hold the shot for the close up with such a long extnesion and I find much easier to do close up with the Vivitar lens as the close up is at 210mm is just the reverse arrangement where the lens is shortest at 210mm without zooming.

The legendary Tamron 19AH lens should do better in terms of CA/PF. I find the Komine copy of vivitar zoom very good already but it does suffer from moderate amount of CA/PF.

@Steve,

Thanks for the comments. I do not know about he MC coating of BBAR, that is a good thing to know. In my casual shooting, I find the lens superb for street shooting that requires fast focus as the focusing ring is smooth and long giving a good balance between fast and precise focusing -- very top notch for manual focusing work. At 70mm, I like the lens for portrait a lot. Color and sharpness is quite good in my first shooting and I expect more as I use mostly f/4.0 for the indoor shooting and f/5.6 for most outdoor shooting in the 1st day


1/1000 sec, f/5.6, 200mm, iso 200
PF on roof top near the satellite dish



1/250 sec, f/5.6, 70mm, iso 200



1/320sec, f/4.0, 70mm, iso 400



1/250sec, f/4.0, 180mm, iso 400


Last edited by hinman; 03-02-2009 at 07:57 PM.
03-02-2009, 11:30 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by HansenTsang Quote
i bought mine from KEH last year for $53 as a bargain grade. It had a dented filter thread ring but good glass. I have been very pleasantly surprised at the image quality. I use it both on my Nikon system and Pentax system. Now I am using it on my Panasonic G1 with an adaptall to M42 screw mount adapter.

Since last year I have been "collecting" a bunch of Tamron adaptall lenses and I really enjoy using them.

The first image is with the even less expensive 85 to 210 f4.5 Tamron adaptall 2.
The next image is with the 70 to 210 f3.5 SP.
The last one is with the 04B 200 mm f3.5 fixed focal length.
Thank you for the comments. That is a great bargain you have, I paid more than you but I find it worthwhile. The other Tamron SP adaptall lens that I have is Tamron SP 28-135mm f/4.0-4.5.


Last edited by hinman; 03-06-2009 at 04:30 PM.
03-02-2009, 11:56 AM   #8
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by coincidence ...

... I just got a 19AH lens too!

Took it out for a short walk last Friday lunchtime; on a K10D with battery grip it feels very solid (but heavy!). I didn't do anything to test any particular aspect of lens performance, but it seems to have CA well under control, and just a hint of fringing on high contrast edges.

It seems to perform nicely -- my baseline for comparison is with a bunch of Vivitar 75-205 and 70-210 (non-Series 1) lenses, two or three Kiron made, one Tokina made, one Komine made.

I think I took both these shots at f/5.6 (I only have the PK adapter so aperture doesn't get recorded in the EXIF).



03-02-2009, 12:30 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by hinman Quote
My copy of 19AH doesn't come with a lens hood. I have a difficult time finding a lens hood as the zoom has a partial lens hood when extending to 210mm end.
That is a shame because when I bought my second copy it came with 2 hoods but I recommended the lens to someone on the UK Pentax forum and his also came without one so I sold him my spare otherwise I would been happy to send it to you.
03-02-2009, 01:56 PM   #10
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Very nice pics! A few months ago there was one of these lenses in good condition with pentax adapter on a auction site here in Finland. I was following it but I moved on the day the bid closed and forgot about it. Later I found out it was sold for under 40e (50$) and it might have even been with a KA adapter (I didn't investigate further bacause I didn't want to know )
03-02-2009, 02:21 PM   #11
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LBA setting in, where are my pills?

I think that adaptall 2 site (excellent site) has optical tests of both.
03-02-2009, 07:53 PM   #12
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While going through my test pictures, I noted hinting of PF/CA from the 19AH when I see photos in original size. Not obvious in screen resolution.

Flickr Set on Test Photos
03-02-2009, 07:57 PM   #13
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I think I want that lens now.....

is #5 and 6 a train model?
03-02-2009, 08:08 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by wilkin Quote
I think I want that lens now.....

is #5 and 6 a train model?
I certainly hope so...either that or they are growing some mighty large flowers in central California!



Steve
03-02-2009, 08:10 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by wilkin Quote
I think I want that lens now.....

is #5 and 6 a train model?
Yes, they are train model. The MF ring in the 19AH is quite outstanding for panning and fast focusing without AF. I managed to pan the train movement in a number of shots and for most shots, I pre-focus on nearby object and switch to complete MF on body.


1/250 sec, f/4.0, 70mm (wrong SR focal), iso 400, 0 Ev
likely 180 or 210mm, I forget to set the SR focal


1/160 sec, f/4.0, 135mm, iso 400, 0 Ev


1/160 sec, f/4.0, 70mm, iso 400, 0 Ev



1/125 sec, f/4.0, 70mm, iso 400, 0 Ev





Last edited by hinman; 03-02-2009 at 08:25 PM.
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