Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A -- very cute mf lens

[hinman]

My latest LBA is more or less hunting for the adaptall-2 lenses. I should have posted this in the adaptall-2 club but this lens is special considered the price and performance that I seldom see a <$100 lens can have color and sharpness with solid performance even in wide open aperture

I have small hands


Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A

The lens is tiny, it reminds me of Pentax F 35-70mm





1/100 sec, f/2.8, 35mm, iso 500, 0 Ev


1/100 sec, f/2.8, 75mm, iso 400, 0 Ev
Though max out at f/3.8, strangely, the AE allow me to set
at f/2.8, I think it is actually wide open in f/3.8




1/250 sec, f/2.8, 75mm, iso 400, 0 Ev



Note the circular ringed lights, very pleasing to me

The color is so rich in this Tamron adaptall-2 lens that it make all the unnecessary LBA purchase worthwhile. This little lens seem to do well even in the 1:2.5 close up. With the 2x 01F TC, it will give close up at 1:1.25. More test will tell. The only gripe that I had was several over-exposure encounters in f/4.5 and smaller needing a -2/3 Ev adjustment. It may be due to user errors. And the lens does have flare and a lens hood is highly recommended.

Warmest,
Hin

[IS050]

Hin, Congrats on the new lens, this is one of my favorite. Very sharp and good close up at the long end.

David

[monochrome]

Hinman: You have what I think is a very nice lens - in fact this is one of my personal favorites.

My experience is similar with the exposure issue, but that is manageable with the histogram. Spot metering might be part of my problem. ISO200 helped.

I have posted several samples on the Adaptall-2 thread, but here are two taken right after I got the lens:

K10D 1/100 f/2.8 ISO200 Windy - I think catch-focus

K10D 1/100 f/4 +0.7EV ISO100

[stevebrot]

Cute lens indeed! The SP 35-80 is considered to be somewhat of a classic and is very highly regarded. I have almost bought one several times and was tempted to slip Dave's (ISO50) copy into my bag when I last saw him. It sounds like you got a good price on yours (they generally go for about $150) and the images speak for themselves.

I am curious as to how it might perform using the Raynox auxiliary macro lens.

Steve

[hinman]

I don't have a raynox to try it on my lens but I do have a 62mm +4, +2, +1 diopter that I can try. I will think the Tamron 2x 01F teleconverter will be a good bet to try as the close up scale suggests the use for 1:1.25 close up.

I have tried the lens on portraits and it is quite nice. I am looking for the 24-48mm adaptall-2 lens to complete my Tamron sp zoom lens

• Tamron 24-48mm -- a even more compact zoom. Please sell me yours
• Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 01A (I have one, a happy find )
• Tamron SP 70-210mm f/3.5 19AH, Tamron 75-250mm f/3.8-4.5 104A and Tamron 80-200mm f/2.8 (30A) (and I have one of each )

And among all the zooms, my favorites at the moment are #1 Tamron 80-200mm f/2.8 (30A) followed by this small and cute zoom in Tamron 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 (01A).

For prime, I just got the Tamron adaptall-2 200mm f/3.5 which is the smallest of the 200mm that I have used, likely smaller than the A* 200mm f/2.8. And I am debating on whether to get the Tamron adaptall-2 300mm f/2.8.

Call me full blown LBA in adaptall-2 and please help me with the 24-48mm, 180mm f/2.8, and maybe 300mm f/2.8 searching. And I may continue to put myself into the rings for fighting for the LBA renowned title in 2009.

Hin

[seacapt]

You guys need to come up with some secret LBA code to describe lenses. You're driving the prices up on E-bay! I got mine under $50.
For example:
It's a terrible lens, cheap build and lousey IQ. Whatever you do don't try it out as a macro!!!

[monochrome]

Originally Posted by seacapt

You guys need to come up with some secret LBA code to describe lenses. You're driving the prices up on E-bay! I got mine under $50.
For example:
It's a terrible lens, cheap build and lousey IQ. Whatever you do don't try it out as a macro!!!

Yeah, PF mus have enough viewership that demand is generated for otherwise languishing lenses from here alone. I got mine before the surge for about your price. I got the hood for basicaly nothing - more for the shipping than the auction.

I was actually contemplating selling almost all of my Pentax lenses and sticking with just manual Tamron's, but right now it is better to sell Tammy's and buy Pentax.

[hinman]

I continue with over-exposure on any apertures smaller than f/4.0. I wonder if this has to do with the vari-focal scale of f/2.8 in 35mm to f/3.8 in the longer end.

The lens continues to impress me on close up. And it does well at night wide open in f/2.8 and it serves portrait shooting quite alright

1/100 sec, f/4.0, 75mm, 0 Ev, iso 500, -1/3 Ev

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

the blue dot is likely flare in taking on the sunlight head-on
1/4000 sec, f/5.6, 50mm, iso 100, -0.7 Ev

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

1/13 sec, f/2.8, 75mm, iso 400, 0Ev
with panning movement to the right

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

1/100 sec, f/3.5, 75mm, iso 1250, -0.3 Ev

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

All taken hand-held with Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A
and Pentax K20D

Regards,
Hin

[F-Stop]

Definitely a great lens, nice range, macro and super sharp. I bought mine about two years ago, I may have paid $50 or less, I don't remember. Thankfully someone at work had a PK Tamron Adaptall mount laying around not being used.

Would I buy it again? No. The fish eye style lens with blue coating causes too much blue flare depending on the lighting. The IQ and color rendition is less than satisfying compared to my Tamron 17-50. That aside, I will keep it for close up work where it excels.


100% crop of above image below

[hinman]

Originally Posted by F-Stop

Definitely a great lens, nice range, macro and super sharp. I bought mine about two years ago, I may have paid $50 or less, I don't remember. Thankfully someone at work had a PK Tamron Adaptall mount laying around not being used.

Would I buy it again? No. The fish eye style lens with blue coating causes too much blue flare depending on the lighting. The IQ and color rendition is less than satisfying compared to my Tamron 17-50. That aside, I will keep it for close up work where it excels.

Very nice close up shots with the lens. I found flare to be very strong in the lens and I have added a 3rd party lens hood to help. Your comment in blue flare was seen in my test shots a couple of times. I find the color rendition quite pleasing especially at close up on flowers, bokeh is decent. I am not picky on lens but I wouldn't compare it to the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 as that is a $75 lens and the Tamron 17-50mm is at least $300 when bought used if you are lucky. But I would say that the close up will easily beat all of the latest zooms as in Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 and Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5.

If I ran into one that cost $50, I would definitely buy it again if I have sold my copy.

Hin

[hinman]

I have a few product shots on the zoom sitting in between two 200mm prime

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

From left to right

• Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 04B
• Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A
• Lentar 200mm f/3.5 auto-mount m42

It just shows how small the 35-80mm zoom is but the 200mm adaptall-2 is also very small and short compared to other 200mm that I have used. The 200mm with a 2x TC mounted is as tall as the 200mm prime that I have with the lesser known Lentar brand

200mmm prime 0with 2x adaptall-2 01F TC mounted
in the rear side at bottom

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

I have not tested fully on the 200mm, the form factor appeals to me and it has a little built in lens hood. I doubt if it is as good as the 35-80mm zoom but more test and use will tell.

Thanks,
Hin

[hinman]

I continue to like the Tamron SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 01A and I find it a great combo to bring the adaptall lens as a suite

• tamron 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 for portraits, close-up and candid, even good in nightime
• tamron 70-210mm f/3.5 (19AH) though a bit long and heavy, the 19AH zoom is the best manual focus zooms that I have used that beat all the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/2.8-4.5 by Komine or other by Kiron and Tokina
• tamron 75-250mm f/3.8-4.8 adaptall-2 (104A), this zoom is less in IQ and sharpness when compared to (19AH) but it is easier to handle due to weight and it starts at 250mm when the zoom is shortest to 75mm shorter end when the zoom is longest. Also the gain of 50mm to 250mm in the long end is quite a plus for the zoom. This zoom offer a good bang for the buck like the 103A.

Please Help

In order to create a better adaptall-2 combo, I need one particular LBA purchase, I am looking for Tamron SP 24-48mm adaptall-2 f/3.5-3.8 (13A) to make up for the short end. Why all these manual focus lens, you may ask? Why not, they have the best color, sharpness and handling that I have used sans the AF. And I find them cost effective, especially that they all work in Full Frame and other systems with an adapter. I can re-use all of my tamron adaptall-2 lens with any 35mm film camera, be it a Nikon F, Pentax Spotomatic, or my Pentax SuperProgram. Unless I get the K-7 which is better for AF, these MF lenses make up the lacking in AF in K20D or something older as in K10D or K200D and the like.

I am testing out the Tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 (04A). It is best in handling with small form factor but it is not the sharpest that I have seen but I leave my judgment later with more use to tell. The 200mm is like a 100mm in size and the handling is all good and it has a tiny but usable and retractable lens hood. The prime share the 62mm filter size the same with the 35-80mm 01A zoom. A better combo to cover a good range will be

• tamron sp 24-48mm f/3.5-3.8 adaptall-2 (14a)
• tamron sp 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 adaptall-2 (01a)
• tamron 200mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 (04a)

Warmest,
Hin