Was this Tamron Sp 60-300 a bad buy?

dmbaile2 · 05-13-2012, 03:57 AM

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So I was taking pictures at the part today and noticed two things, I want more magnification and i want to be able to do macro shots. After a lot of reaserch i figured this lense can help me with both of those.

I found this ebay auction but its a little wiered.

Tamron SP 80-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Telephoto Zoom/Macro Lens for Adaptall 2 Mounts | eBay

In the listing it says the lens is an 80-300 but if you look at the picture you can clearly see that it is a 60-300 if you look at the markings on the side... This is how the glass was described "Very minor spotting from haze, no fungus or scratches" I figured that may be what was keeping people away from it but i couldnt resist. Im cheap like that. But now im worried that maybe this will affect the image quality more than i assumed originally. Its too late now, but what do you all think?

And what does it mean when the zoom is "slightly under-dampened"?

Thanks for any help.

JohnBee · 05-13-2012, 04:21 AM

Tamron Adaptall 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Reviews

Jean Poitiers · 05-13-2012, 06:30 AM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

... Tamron SP 80-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Telephoto Zoom/Macro Lens for Adaptall 2 Mounts | eBay

Thanks for any help.

Bonjour,

I have a "23A" and it has a good "macro" function ( "1:1.55" - written on the lens itself ), but unusable with an onboard flash because one's lens is too close to the subject. One can also use the "01F" TC with it, too.

Also see : Tamron SP Adaptall-2 60-300mm F/3.8-5.4 Model 23A

Plus : http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/01F.html

"Slightly under-dampened" could be a "zoom creep" issue ... which mine has a bit ... not excessive at all for a large, heavy lens like this one.

Hope that this is of some help and send us some sample photos ... bon courage!

Salut, John le Frog

**MSL** · 05-13-2012, 06:43 AM

From the posted images the lens looks to be in reasonable shape, so I don't think you did badly here. This adaptall lens is one of the few standouts from their product line, particularly from the zoom collection.

I'm guessing that underdamped zooming means that the lens suffers from zoom creep - i.e. it will slide forward on its own due to its own weight and/or that it slides pretty easily. On some zoom lenses there are screws that can be tightened to fix this, or it can be partially fixed using the equivalent of a giant rubber band. Just search for zoom creep on the forums.

GibbyTheMole · 05-13-2012, 08:52 AM

If the haze doesn't affect image quality, you did very well. I have one & it is extraordinarily sharp. That one & the Pentax-A 35-105 are the two sharpest zooms I've used. The only downside on the Tamron is some susceptibility to purple fringing, but every other aspect of it's performance is superb. I'm never getting rid of mine.

The macro mode on it is quite useful, too. Not quite the equal of a regular 1:1 macro lens, but you can get pretty darn close with it, nonetheless.

dmbaile2 · 05-13-2012, 10:18 AM

Will this lens accept a normal k mount teleconverter if I use the proper adapter?

Jean Poitiers · 05-13-2012, 10:43 AM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

Will this lens accept a normal k mount teleconverter if I use the proper adapter?

Re-bonjour,

Never tried that before since I have the 01F TC, so got out some gear and experimented.

Used the K-r which already had an old "Teleplus MC4 2x KAX" TC on it ... Results = _____________

The 23A with a PK/M mount ... all worked in manual.

And the 23A with a PK/A mount worked with "A" function for "f" stops, too, since the TC has "A" pin connections ... et voilà!

Learn (and/or try) something new everyday ...

Salut, John le Frog

dmbaile2 · 05-13-2012, 11:38 AM

Hey, thank you for testing that out for me!

**pacerr** · 05-13-2012, 12:36 PM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

but what do you all think?

The SP 60-300 (23A) is generally considered a very satisfactory lens within its competitive price group of 70-300 zooms. If you check the Adaptall Club you'll find quite a few favorable comments there.

www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-clubs/59769-adaptall-mount-club-tamron.html

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 60-300mm F/3.8-5.4 Model 23A

If you experience any noticeable degradation, it will probably be a relative reduction in contrast and that's often correctable in post processing.

It's a versatile lens -- enjoy it.

H2

Jean Poitiers · 05-13-2012, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

Hey, thank you for testing that out for me!

You're welcome ... J

Marc Sabatella · 05-13-2012, 02:00 PM

The only question is whether it is really worth the risk that it is not in as good shape as you might hope and the hassle of completely manual operation plus the need for an adapter just to save a few bucks over the cheap and very good modern options, like the DA50-200, Tamron 70-300, or slightly more expensive DA55-300. OK, the macro capability on the 60-300 is a bit better, but stick a $50 Raynox closeup lens on the front of any of those zooms and you;ll get far better results still.

derekkite · 05-13-2012, 02:32 PM

Look at keh.com, they usually have one or two of these. Just to compare prices. They aren't expensive.

It is a very nice lens. A good copy is easy to handle and sharp.

05-13-2012, 03:57 AM	#1
dmbaile2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 107	Was this Tamron Sp 60-300 a bad buy? Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. So I was taking pictures at the part today and noticed two things, I want more magnification and i want to be able to do macro shots. After a lot of reaserch i figured this lense can help me with both of those. I found this ebay auction but its a little wiered. Tamron SP 80-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Telephoto Zoom/Macro Lens for Adaptall 2 Mounts \| eBay In the listing it says the lens is an 80-300 but if you look at the picture you can clearly see that it is a 60-300 if you look at the markings on the side... This is how the glass was described "Very minor spotting from haze, no fungus or scratches" I figured that may be what was keeping people away from it but i couldnt resist. Im cheap like that. But now im worried that maybe this will affect the image quality more than i assumed originally. Its too late now, but what do you all think? And what does it mean when the zoom is "slightly under-dampened"? Thanks for any help.

05-13-2012, 06:30 AM	#3
Jean Poitiers Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,076	It should be a "23A" ... 60-300mm Originally posted by dmbaile2 ... Tamron SP 80-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Telephoto Zoom/Macro Lens for Adaptall 2 Mounts \| eBay Thanks for any help. *Bonjour,* I have a "23A" and it has a good "macro" function ( "1:1.55" - written on the lens itself ), but unusable with an onboard flash because one's lens is too close to the subject. One can also use the "01F" TC with it, too. Also see : Tamron SP Adaptall-2 60-300mm F/3.8-5.4 Model 23A Plus : http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/01F.html "Slightly under-dampened" could be a "zoom creep" issue ... which mine has a bit ... not excessive at all for a large, heavy lens like this one. Hope that this is of some help and send us some sample photos ... *bon courage!* *Salut, John le Frog* Last edited by Jean Poitiers; 05-13-2012 at 06:37 AM.

05-13-2012, 10:43 AM	#7
Jean Poitiers Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,076	It woked for me ... with PK/M .... & PK/A Originally posted by dmbaile2 Will this lens accept a normal k mount teleconverter if I use the proper adapter? *Re-bonjour,* Never tried that before since I have the 01F TC, so got out some gear and experimented. Used the K-r which already had an old "Teleplus MC4 2x KAX" TC on it ... Results = _____________ The 23A with a PK/M mount ... all worked in manual. And the 23A with a PK/A mount worked with "A" function for "f" stops, too, since the TC has "A" pin connections ... *et voilà!* Learn (and/or try) something new everyday ... *Salut, John le Frog*

05-13-2012, 12:52 PM	#10
Jean Poitiers Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,076	De rien ... Originally posted by dmbaile2 Hey, thank you for testing that out for me! You're welcome ... J

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05-13-2012, 04:21 AM	#2
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	Tamron Adaptall 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Reviews

05-13-2012, 06:43 AM	#4
MSL Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Greater Toronto Area Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,749	From the posted images the lens looks to be in reasonable shape, so I don't think you did badly here. This adaptall lens is one of the few standouts from their product line, particularly from the zoom collection. I'm guessing that underdamped zooming means that the lens suffers from zoom creep - i.e. it will slide forward on its own due to its own weight and/or that it slides pretty easily. On some zoom lenses there are screws that can be tightened to fix this, or it can be partially fixed using the equivalent of a giant rubber band. Just search for zoom creep on the forums.

05-13-2012, 08:52 AM	#5
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	If the haze doesn't affect image quality, you did very well. I have one & it is extraordinarily sharp. That one & the Pentax-A 35-105 are the two sharpest zooms I've used. The only downside on the Tamron is some susceptibility to purple fringing, but every other aspect of it's performance is superb. I'm never getting rid of mine. The macro mode on it is quite useful, too. Not quite the equal of a regular 1:1 macro lens, but you can get pretty darn close with it, nonetheless.

05-13-2012, 10:18 AM	#6
dmbaile2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 107 Original Poster	Will this lens accept a normal k mount teleconverter if I use the proper adapter?

05-13-2012, 11:38 AM	#8
dmbaile2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 107 Original Poster	Hey, thank you for testing that out for me!

05-13-2012, 12:36 PM	#9
pacerr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Paris, TN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,349	Originally posted by dmbaile2 but what do you all think? The SP 60-300 (23A) is generally considered a very satisfactory lens within its competitive price group of 70-300 zooms. If you check the Adaptall Club you'll find quite a few favorable comments there. www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-clubs/59769-adaptall-mount-club-tamron.html Tamron SP Adaptall-2 60-300mm F/3.8-5.4 Model 23A If you experience any noticeable degradation, it will probably be a relative reduction in contrast and that's often correctable in post processing. It's a versatile lens -- enjoy it. H2

05-13-2012, 02:00 PM	#11
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	The only question is whether it is really worth the risk that it is not in as good shape as you might hope and the hassle of completely manual operation plus the need for an adapter just to save a few bucks over the cheap and very good modern options, like the DA50-200, Tamron 70-300, or slightly more expensive DA55-300. OK, the macro capability on the 60-300 is a bit better, but stick a $50 Raynox closeup lens on the front of any of those zooms and you;ll get far better results still.

05-13-2012, 02:32 PM	#12
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	Look at keh.com, they usually have one or two of these. Just to compare prices. They aren't expensive. It is a very nice lens. A good copy is easy to handle and sharp.