Problems with my Tamron 90mm Macro

AprilFool · 12-27-2010, 07:30 AM

Hi,

Has anyone been using Tamron 90mm Macro on K-5 and found that it has problems finding focus? I was just checking today all my lenses on K-5 to see, if any of them need AF adjustment, just to find that K-5 realy doesn't like my macro lens.

The focusing is just erratic.

So I thought the focusing would be OK as long as I wasn't trying to focus on objects that are difficult to lock onto ( low contrast objects, objects in the back/foreground ). In almost every case the camera is just focusing back and forth several times and stopping without locking focus on anything. Tried to focus on some simple to focus objects, but K-5 just refuses to find focus. Trying again and again, but focus only locked on the object a couple of times.

So I tried this lens on my old K10D and focusing works much better, not locking focus only a couple of times. And even if it didn't find focus after the first try it locked focus after I pressed the af/shutter button again.

Is it possible that K-5 has problems with this lens, or is the lens?

**apisto** · 12-27-2010, 07:55 AM

My K-5 comes in a few days. I will try out my Tamron 90mm on it and report back.

JeffJS · 12-27-2010, 08:15 AM

Try it with Live View (pg 165 in the manual)..

macTak · 12-27-2010, 09:35 AM

Try using the focus limiter too, if you aren't already.

henryk · 12-27-2010, 09:38 AM

Just tried out the Tamron 90mm with my new K-5. The AF hunts, all right, at macro distances. But this is not bothersome to me because I have always used manual focus with small objects in order to get the focus right on where I want it to be so that the DOF is maximized.

Doubt that there's anything wrong except that the K-5 (which seems to like all my other lenses just fine) is erratic with this particular lens. Going manual solves the problem (at least for me).

Of course two similar reports isn't enough to draw a firm conclusion. We need more.

AprilFool · 12-27-2010, 09:57 AM

In LiveView AF still works very erratic. Now the camera almost always locks focus, but it isn't focusing correctly. It's just frustrating to listen to the AF motor as it is kicking around lens' focusing mechanism, like it has no clue where to lock focus. I tried the FA 50 and LiveView works OK with it.
With Tamron it's making random back and front focused shots. And it's not missing focus by just a few centimetres it's missing focus by 20, 30cm or more.

When I shake the lens it's making a sound like there is some screw or something loose in it.

Could be that this is messing with focus? The lens works fine with K10D though. DAMN IT!

imtheguy · 12-27-2010, 10:14 AM

My K5 + Tammy 90/2.8 works just like it does on the K20D. Took less adjustment than most of my lenses.

AprilFool · 12-27-2010, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by macTak

Try using the focus limiter too, if you aren't already.

The camera is not haunting for focus, it's trying to find focus ( going back and forth a few centimetres around the focusing plane ), but just can't make a lock on focus.

In LiveView it is haunting for focus, misses focus completely but makes a lock.

As I said before it sometimes makes perfectly good AF lock - both in LiveView and when I'm not using LiveView.

Well could be, that Pentax is trying to tell us that we need to buy their new WR macro.

henryk · 12-27-2010, 06:04 PM

Did some more experimenting this afternoon with the Tammy 90 and the K-5. Turns out my earlier experiments were with low indoor (twisty fluorescent bulbs) lighting on polished and shiny surfaces, like a stainless steel salt-and-pepper shaker. That would discombobulate anything. This afternoon I tried flowers illuminated by window light and the Tammy AF nailed focus every time. I don't think this is going to be much of a problem. AprilFool, what kind of light were you using?

**loveisageless** · 12-27-2010, 09:27 PM

I don't have the K5, but I had this lens for my K7. I bought it used but still under warranty. It had a similar focusing problem and consistently overexposed. I too heard something rattling around when I'd turn the lens over or shake it gently. To make a long story shorter, it turned out that the apreture was not stopping down properly and there was definitely something wrong with the autofocus. When I received the lens back from repair the autofocus was fast and accurate with no further rattling either. If your lens is still under warranty, I'd send it in for repair. If not, I'd still send it in because it is a great lens. By the way, it was sent in for repair at the beginning of the week and was returned by the end of the same week. Whatever was rattling around must have been very obvious because it was such a quick fix.

Staffan · 12-27-2010, 11:18 PM

Originally posted by loveisageless

I don't have the K5, but I had this lens for my K7. I bought it used but still under warranty. It had a similar focusing problem and consistently overexposed. I too heard something rattling around when I'd turn the lens over or shake it gently. To make a long story shorter, it turned out that the apreture was not stopping down properly and there was definitely something wrong with the autofocus. When I received the lens back from repair the autofocus was fast and accurate with no further rattling either. If your lens is still under warranty, I'd send it in for repair. If not, I'd still send it in because it is a great lens. By the way, it was sent in for repair at the beginning of the week and was returned by the end of the same week. Whatever was rattling around must have been very obvious because it was such a quick fix.

I have the K-5 and a Tamron 90mm macro as well. No problems with the AF like them that AprilFool reports. I have calibrated the lens and with the K20D I got -1, with the K-7 +9 and with the K-5 +7. No special hunting otherwise than normal, considering the kind of object focused in every case.
Thus, to me it seems that loveisageless has found the clue: send your lens to repair! I really agree that the Tamron is a great lens, very sharp and nice indeed, so I really hope that you can get it working for you, AprilFool!

AprilFool · 12-28-2010, 04:09 AM

I was testing my Tammy indoors, both in well lit daylight conditions and later in the evening with tungsten, with no significant difference in performance.

I do like my Tammy, it is a superb lens and will definitely send it in for a check-up and repair. Since it is no longer under warranty, I hope that it really is just a minor fault.

**WRB** · 12-28-2010, 10:27 AM

I did some testing this morning with the Tamron 90 and found none of the issues you described. I began to wonder about all lenses as I had been using my FA 31 and DA* 16-50 almost exclusively. Everything is working superbly, I even performed the front and back focus testing with the chart (FocusTestChart.com byTim Jackson). Good luck with the repairs.

**apisto** · 12-30-2010, 07:35 PM

I can confirm that my Tamron 90mm behaves like that of the OP on my K5, although it sounds like the behavior in my lens may not be as pronounced. On my K20D the focusing is more decisive.

Ira · 12-30-2010, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by AprilFool

The camera is not haunting for focus

Your English is excellent, but do you mind if I correct you here?

Ghosts "haunt" people. Lenses "hunt" for focus, like hunters trying to shoot animals.

Everyone here understood what you said, but I thought you would want to know about this minor spelling error.

12-27-2010, 07:30 AM	#1
AprilFool Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Slovenija Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Problems with my Tamron 90mm Macro Hi, Has anyone been using Tamron 90mm Macro on K-5 and found that it has problems finding focus? I was just checking today all my lenses on K-5 to see, if any of them need AF adjustment, just to find that K-5 realy doesn't like my macro lens. The focusing is just erratic. So I thought the focusing would be OK as long as I wasn't trying to focus on objects that are difficult to lock onto ( low contrast objects, objects in the back/foreground ). In almost every case the camera is just focusing back and forth several times and stopping without locking focus on anything. Tried to focus on some simple to focus objects, but K-5 just refuses to find focus. Trying again and again, but focus only locked on the object a couple of times. So I tried this lens on my old K10D and focusing works much better, not locking focus only a couple of times. And even if it didn't find focus after the first try it locked focus after I pressed the af/shutter button again. Is it possible that K-5 has problems with this lens, or is the lens?

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12-27-2010, 07:55 AM	#2
apisto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 588	My K-5 comes in a few days. I will try out my Tamron 90mm on it and report back.

12-27-2010, 08:15 AM	#3
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Try it with Live View (pg 165 in the manual)..

12-27-2010, 09:35 AM	#4
macTak Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 759	Try using the focus limiter too, if you aren't already.

12-27-2010, 09:38 AM	#5
henryk Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evanston IL Posts: 62	Just tried out the Tamron 90mm with my new K-5. The AF hunts, all right, at macro distances. But this is not bothersome to me because I have always used manual focus with small objects in order to get the focus right on where I want it to be so that the DOF is maximized. Doubt that there's anything wrong except that the K-5 (which seems to like all my other lenses just fine) is erratic with this particular lens. Going manual solves the problem (at least for me). Of course two similar reports isn't enough to draw a firm conclusion. We need more.

12-27-2010, 09:57 AM	#6
AprilFool Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Slovenija Photos: Gallery Posts: 34 Original Poster	In LiveView AF still works very erratic. Now the camera almost always locks focus, but it isn't focusing correctly. It's just frustrating to listen to the AF motor as it is kicking around lens' focusing mechanism, like it has no clue where to lock focus. I tried the FA 50 and LiveView works OK with it. With Tamron it's making random back and front focused shots. And it's not missing focus by just a few centimetres it's missing focus by 20, 30cm or more. When I shake the lens it's making a sound like there is some screw or something loose in it. Could be that this is messing with focus? The lens works fine with K10D though. DAMN IT!

12-27-2010, 10:14 AM	#7
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	My K5 + Tammy 90/2.8 works just like it does on the K20D. Took less adjustment than most of my lenses.

12-27-2010, 10:14 AM	#8
AprilFool Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Slovenija Photos: Gallery Posts: 34 Original Poster	Originally posted by macTak Try using the focus limiter too, if you aren't already. The camera is not haunting for focus, it's trying to find focus ( going back and forth a few centimetres around the focusing plane ), but just can't make a lock on focus. In LiveView it is haunting for focus, misses focus completely but makes a lock. As I said before it sometimes makes perfectly good AF lock - both in LiveView and when I'm not using LiveView. Well could be, that Pentax is trying to tell us that we need to buy their new WR macro.

12-27-2010, 06:04 PM	#9
henryk Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evanston IL Posts: 62	Did some more experimenting this afternoon with the Tammy 90 and the K-5. Turns out my earlier experiments were with low indoor (twisty fluorescent bulbs) lighting on polished and shiny surfaces, like a stainless steel salt-and-pepper shaker. That would discombobulate anything. This afternoon I tried flowers illuminated by window light and the Tammy AF nailed focus every time. I don't think this is going to be much of a problem. AprilFool, what kind of light were you using?

12-27-2010, 09:27 PM	#10
loveisageless Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Oakland, California Photos: Albums Posts: 1,250	I don't have the K5, but I had this lens for my K7. I bought it used but still under warranty. It had a similar focusing problem and consistently overexposed. I too heard something rattling around when I'd turn the lens over or shake it gently. To make a long story shorter, it turned out that the apreture was not stopping down properly and there was definitely something wrong with the autofocus. When I received the lens back from repair the autofocus was fast and accurate with no further rattling either. If your lens is still under warranty, I'd send it in for repair. If not, I'd still send it in because it is a great lens. By the way, it was sent in for repair at the beginning of the week and was returned by the end of the same week. Whatever was rattling around must have been very obvious because it was such a quick fix.

12-27-2010, 11:18 PM	#11
Staffan Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 36	Originally posted by loveisageless I don't have the K5, but I had this lens for my K7. I bought it used but still under warranty. It had a similar focusing problem and consistently overexposed. I too heard something rattling around when I'd turn the lens over or shake it gently. To make a long story shorter, it turned out that the apreture was not stopping down properly and there was definitely something wrong with the autofocus. When I received the lens back from repair the autofocus was fast and accurate with no further rattling either. If your lens is still under warranty, I'd send it in for repair. If not, I'd still send it in because it is a great lens. By the way, it was sent in for repair at the beginning of the week and was returned by the end of the same week. Whatever was rattling around must have been very obvious because it was such a quick fix. I have the K-5 and a Tamron 90mm macro as well. No problems with the AF like them that AprilFool reports. I have calibrated the lens and with the K20D I got -1, with the K-7 +9 and with the K-5 +7. No special hunting otherwise than normal, considering the kind of object focused in every case. Thus, to me it seems that loveisageless has found the clue: send your lens to repair! I really agree that the Tamron is a great lens, very sharp and nice indeed, so I really hope that you can get it working for you, AprilFool!

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12-28-2010, 04:09 AM	#12
AprilFool Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Slovenija Photos: Gallery Posts: 34 Original Poster	I was testing my Tammy indoors, both in well lit daylight conditions and later in the evening with tungsten, with no significant difference in performance. I do like my Tammy, it is a superb lens and will definitely send it in for a check-up and repair. Since it is no longer under warranty, I hope that it really is just a minor fault.

12-28-2010, 10:27 AM	#13
WRB Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 117	I did some testing this morning with the Tamron 90 and found none of the issues you described. I began to wonder about all lenses as I had been using my FA 31 and DA* 16-50 almost exclusively. Everything is working superbly, I even performed the front and back focus testing with the chart (FocusTestChart.com byTim Jackson). Good luck with the repairs.

12-30-2010, 07:35 PM	#14
apisto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 588	I can confirm that my Tamron 90mm behaves like that of the OP on my K5, although it sounds like the behavior in my lens may not be as pronounced. On my K20D the focusing is more decisive.

12-30-2010, 07:50 PM	#15
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Originally posted by AprilFool The camera is not haunting for focus Your English is excellent, but do you mind if I correct you here? Ghosts "haunt" people. Lenses "hunt" for focus, like hunters trying to shoot animals. Everyone here understood what you said, but I thought you would want to know about this minor spelling error.