[srini]

Hi Guys,
I am planning to buy a 'Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Pentax' to experiment my skills on Macro.

Though I have read the reviews in Amazon, I need you guys help to decide on this lens. Will the lens correction feature in K-x can be used on this lens?.

1) I have a pentax K-x. How good is the AF of this lens with my K-x body?. Has any one tried it?.

2) Have you guys found any problem with this lens or Do you have any good suggestions?.

3) With f2.8 it should do good for portraits. Has any one tried? and If yes How are the results?.

I always come to this Post seeking for the experts advice before I get any gear. I decided upon K-x/Battery/50mm SMC lens after the debate here.

So, need ur help on deciding this too.
-Srini

[yeatzee]

Hi Guys,
I am planning to buy a 'Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Pentax' to experiment my skills on Macro.

Though I have read the reviews in Amazon, I need you guys help to decide on this lens. Will the lens correction feature in K-x can be used on this lens?.

1) I have a pentax K-x. How good is the AF of this lens with my K-x body?. Has any one tried it?.

2) Have you guys found any problem with this lens or Do you have any good suggestions?.

3) With f2.8 it should do good for portraits. Has any one tried? and If yes How are the results?.

I always come to this Post seeking for the experts advice before I get any gear. I decided upon K-x/Battery/50mm SMC lens after the debate here.

So, need ur help on deciding this too.
-Srini

No only modern pentax lenses can take advantage of the in camera lens correction features. THis isn't important as the tammy doesn't need them.

AF on all macro lenses is quite slow... nothing new here.

What do you mean by "good suggestions?"

Yes 90mm is a good focal length for portraits....many of us macro lens owners use ours for potraits as well as macro me included.

[bobmaxja]

Hi Guys,
I am planning to buy a 'Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Pentax' to experiment my skills on Macro.

Though I have read the reviews in Amazon, I need you guys help to decide on this lens. Will the lens correction feature in K-x can be used on this lens?.

1) I have a pentax K-x. How good is the AF of this lens with my K-x body?. Has any one tried it?.

2) Have you guys found any problem with this lens or Do you have any good suggestions?.

3) With f2.8 it should do good for portraits. Has any one tried? and If yes How are the results?.

I always come to this Post seeking for the experts advice before I get any gear. I decided upon K-x/Battery/50mm SMC lens after the debate here.

So, need ur help on deciding this too.
-Srini

You can look at the macro lenses from Sigma 105mm f2.8

. You can look at photo I took this week

Photo Pentax K-X - a set on Flickr

[yeatzee]

You can look at my flickr link im my sig

(to see images taken with the sigma 105mm macro)

[Ira]

Go the Tammy club.

Start here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/31955-tammy-club-50.html

(See my two shots at the bottom.)

It's a fantastic lens, and in the hands of guys who really know what they're doing, amazing. It has a weird pull/push mechanism for auto/manual focus though.

As said, we tend to get caught up in only thinking Macro when it's labeled as a macro lens, but that's not the case at all here. I also highly, highly suggest you go through ALL of the pages in the Tammy forum (53!!!), and look at what people have done macro-wise with the 28-75, even though it's not a 1:1 macro.

You would never know it by some of the shots.

[Aristophanes]

Amazing lens. You don't have nor need the lens correction features offered by the K-x. Macro lenses by design are sharp across, and have flat profiles.

I've used it on the K-x and K-7 and it handles very well with excellent AF, though the long focus throw can take some time if swinging from macro to portrait or if using LiveView, but that's the trade-off in all macro lenses (and tele-zooms as well).

The only downside to the lens is it is a bit plasticky. I've also tried the Pentax FA 100 macro WR and they are extremely close in IQ, but you pay more than 2x for the WR and the non-plastic feeling in the genuine Pentax. Not worth it to me. The Tamron's focus limiter is very handy and an oversight on the Pentax design (shame).

Portraits are awesome. f/2.8 is excellent, even better stopped down a bit. Portraits at f/4-5.6 are as good as they get. Bokeh is butter. Superior res, no vignetting, no CA or other dis, sharper than a new Gillette razor.

Samples (slightly cropped, for alignment, slight contrast increase):

Hi Guys,
I am planning to buy a 'Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Pentax' to experiment my skills on Macro.

Though I have read the reviews in Amazon, I need you guys help to decide on this lens. Will the lens correction feature in K-x can be used on this lens?.

1) I have a pentax K-x. How good is the AF of this lens with my K-x body?. Has any one tried it?.

2) Have you guys found any problem with this lens or Do you have any good suggestions?.

3) With f2.8 it should do good for portraits. Has any one tried? and If yes How are the results?.

I always come to this Post seeking for the experts advice before I get any gear. I decided upon K-x/Battery/50mm SMC lens after the debate here.

So, need ur help on deciding this too.
-Srini

[builttospill]

Yes, the 90 is a great lens. I use it for macro and portraits both. As mentioned right before this it is plastic. It felt very cheap to me compared to the Pentax lenses I was used to, especially considering it was a SP. This was my first experience with Tamron lenses so I didn't know what to expect. The lens takes nice pictures and you get used to the push/pull AF/MF. The AF will work just as well as other screwdrive focus lenses, just use the limiter when not taking macro shots to help with focus speed.

[DSims]

It works great on the K-x. However, I decided I don't like the images (mostly the color) from Tamron or Sigma as much as I like Pentax, Tokina, and some other glass. I got some great shots with it, but I sold mine and kept my Vivitar Series 1 105/2.5 KA mount MF Macro. The Vivitar is a superior macro with nice colors and bokeh, but it's not as good for portraits as the Tamron. For portraits + macro, however, the Pentax 100/2.8 WR is outstanding - especially with portraits. I think its portraits might be called "special," much as macros are on the Vivitar. I believe it's actually worth its high price, but I already have an FA77 so I don't think I need one.

I will say that I considered the lightweight construction of the Tamron a big plus. It was only the images that didn't suit my taste. Objectively they were very sharp, but the overall presentation wasn't as pleasing to me. However, if you like Tamron glass, this is one of the best.

You might also consider the Cosina 100/3.5. I don't consider it as good as the Tamron, but I still like it about as much (maybe more). However, the Vivitar and the Pentax F50/2.8 macro are the ones I really use. The Pentax F50 is great, and is better for walking around, but the Vivitar is even more special, including its ability to go wide open at f/2.4 (according to my camera).

[rkt]

the Tamron 90 2.8 is a great lens, and my experience with it on a K200D has been extremely satisfactory ... since the Kx is meant to be better in the AF department, it should only be better ... a great value-for-money macro ... highly recommended ... even for portraits ...

[stover98074]

If the primary purpose is for macro then a manual focus lens will do the job and be less expensive.

I recently sold a Vivitar 90mm f 2.5 - 1:1 Macro for about $130. I have written about using the lens for macro in the link below.

Inexpensive Macro Photography

This is what the buyer said of the lens after using it for a while -

"Hi, Yes I'm loving that lens!!! It has proven to be the best lens (for the price) that I have purchased on Ebay (or anywhere else) for my Canon 5d mkII camera. I had been searching for a lens that would give me great Bokeh, and this lens delivers, with a perfectly creamy Bokeh. The macro function is a bonus for this lens, better than my Canon 50mm macro lens with extensions. The Bokeh is on par with my 135mm Enna Munchen Tele-Ennalyt lens that I paid nearly twice the $$$ for. Thanks for the great lens that you sold me, my Bokeh lens hunt is over. It just simply is the best kept secret, or I was just lucky to get it for the price paid. Thanks"

[Ira]

If the primary purpose is for macro then a manual focus lens will do the job and be less expensive.

This is an excellent point, and I think if you ask those who own the Tamron 90, the macro is an added-value benefit.

Here's a hand held-macro I did with it, and believe me--I don't know what the hell I'm doing when it comes to macro:



Here's a shot that Jewelltrail did


And here's another shot that I did, while although not spectacular, the 90 was really called for:



It's simply a lens that can cover a lot of territory--plus, 1:1 macro. But if you're going to be doing set-up macros in a studio environment, not needed. There are cheaper ways to go.

However, while the shorter lengths like 50 can give you outstanding results, unless you're in a studio setting, they're hard to work with trying to catch a bee like shown above.

[Mechan1k]

I love my Tammy 90mm ... and I use it on the SLOW K10D ... and it seems to be one of the quicker AF lenses I have used my K10D ... should be pretty damn quick on the K-x for sure.

Would have to rate as one of the best lenses in my kit actually .... I use it the most.

[Ahab]

I too love my Tammy. How sharp you wanna get?