| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2015 Location: USA Posts: 2,874 | | Review Date: December 1, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bokeh, Bokeh,Bokeh - sharp, colors | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Value: 9
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I bought this lens a few months ago. I love the BOKEH wide open so much that I bought a second one (I rarely do that)! Now I own two of them (both 35th Aniversary versions).
Well made, nice manual focusing. As sharp as a modern lens with lovely colors. However, it's bokeh is unsurpassed! 
Fairly easy to work on and do a CLA job - so don't hesitate buying one that's got dust etc inside of it.
For a fast 180mm lens, I consider it to be fairly light-weight.
This is one of the few non-Zeiss/Leica lenses that I regularly shoot on my Pentax K-1 cameras!
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2010 Location: Chiang Mai, Bologna, Amsterdam Posts: 1,198
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 5, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | build, bokeh | | Cons: | a bit soft wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
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I craved for this lens for quite a long time, but prices are often crazy, so i restrained myself until i found an example in user conditions for a decent price.
Often vintage 200mm lenses show a certain level of fringing (lateral color aberration). The Tamron shows no lateral color and just a hint of longitudinal color aberration (fringing in OOF areas).
Handling and construction are great, with a PK/A Adaptall-2 ring it's very ergonomic.
Bokeh and transition between in-focus and OOF areas are top class.
Wide open is a little soft (just a touch), but stopping down a little this is a very sharp lens.
I'd say that it is as sharp as the best 70-200mm zooms, with a better overall rendition and 1/3 of a stop faster.
Compared with other 180/200mm vintage optics i own, this Tamron shows that SD elements and IF make a difference! 
The overall vote would be 9 1/2, not 10. I decided to give a 10 because 9 would be too strict.
My evaluation is relative, not absolute. I considered other vintage manual focus lenses, and the only one that is competitive (among those i own) is the Pentax-A* 2.8/200mm.
A few others are very sharp, but most of them (including the very sharp CZJ Sonnar MC 2.8/200mm M42) are plagued by a huge amount of fringing.
All in all, a beautiful lens worth owning.
Wide open:
 thistle by spaulein, on Flickr
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2016 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 9, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | high quality build, sharpness, internal focus, bokeh | | Cons: | bit softness at f/2.5 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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Mine is anniversary edition, which seems to have higher quality control than normal version.
It has enough resolution for 36MP sensor, and quite suitable for portrait due to its excellent color retention.
My review blog with large photos:
http://iplaylens.blogspot.hk/2017/06/tamron-sp-180mm-f25-ld.html | | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2016 Location: Paris Posts: 124
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 24, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $370.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | optics, built, size | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
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If you don't mind manual shooting (and honestly no good photographer does), this lens is a marvel.
Tamron always made great lenses. This is one amazing. I don' t know what type of glass or coating Tamron used in some elements but highlights are crazy well controlled.
It's sharpness is great at 2.5 , even on a 36mp sensor. Microcontrasts are very good. It delivers great prints at 180x120cm (it's the max i tested with)
mine came without the hood. but it's not a problem in most situations if you mostly use it for portaits.
You may use it for macro too with the adapter, but there are better options in terms on macro lenses on today's market.
| | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 32 | | Review Date: January 5, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build like a tank, sharpness, large F2.5 aperture | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
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Very good at 2.5, excellent at 5.6.
Exceptional build quality. I dropped mine in a stairway made of stones by accident, and it was still working fine!!! Excellent focus ring, and the large aperture helps focusing also. It gives excellent results with the Tamron adaptall extender x1.4, making a near-macro 250 mm 3.5 lens, but it is not very practical (you have to remove the extender and put the adaptall mount to revert to 180mm).
The only minus of this lens is its weight.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2009 Posts: 45 | | Review Date: April 21, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp and contrasty | | Cons: | None | |
I have had this lens for awhile and it has never let me down. I have most of the SP lenses but never acquired the 80-200/2.8 because this lens has always been so good. At a crop factor 270/2.5 it makes a lightweight 300/2.8 on my K20D. works good with the Pentax 1.7x AFA TC or either of the Tamron ones.
Kent Gittings
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: burlington ontario canada Posts: 62
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 22, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $374.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | superfast speed, small size, internal focusing,great build quality | | Cons: | Can't fault it | |
Reason for buying one:
Until recently I owned a Tamron SP 80-200mm f2.8 which is a really nice lens especially for the used prices asked these days.
However I found it quite heavy to lug around and a bit much to hand hold in actual day to day use. ...Also I tended to use the top end usually in the range of 150mm to 190mm for most of my shots.
The Tamron SP 180mm f2.5 was smack in the middle of the range I was looking for and still super fast with even better optics and a lot lighter and smaller than the other lens. It also has fantastic build quality. I am so pleased with it..Can't say enough good things about this lens.
Manual focus a detriment? Hell no, I'm from the old school and that comes so naturally that It doesn't matter one bit. (unless of course one is into sport photography, then AF rules).
I would have spent up to $425 for this lens...Got it (like new) for $374 with shipping
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: January, 2008 Location: Paris, TN Posts: 3,349
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $340.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent IQ and versatility | | Cons: | You'll have to learn to manually focus | |
The image quality of this lens needs no further elaboration so I'll mention some aspects of its versatility.
With a nominal APS-C focal length equivalent of ~250mm it serves as an excellent alternative to larger. heaver and more expensive 200/2.8mm lenses. The F2.5 speed and compact size makes it very usable for action shots. IQ allows cropping for 300mm zoom lens results. Using the techniques of the pre-auto focus era, the lack of auto focus is a minor inconvenience and a satisfying challenge to master.
This lens also excels as a long-macro lens. The dedicated Adaptall 1.4 and 2x TC's impose almost undetectable degradation to IQ in any practical setting. A Tokina-brand 2x AE-capable TC with the optics element unscrewed makes a 26mm auto extension tube that covers approximately 2x2.5 inches at minimum focus distance of ~24 inches and 4x6 inches at a max distance of ~44 inches(lens to subject). The combination of TC's and extension rings and a fast F2.5 aperture makes greater than 1:1 macro feasible when necessary.
Another benefit is the nature of the Adaptall system itself - one lens can be used on many varieties of cameras. Not only your own cameras, but with the addition of relatively inexpensive adapters for other mounts, you can share the experience with others who might not otherwise discover the pleasure of excellent optics.
The Tamron Adaptall SP family of 90/2.5 (52B), 180/2.5 (63B), 70-210 (19AH) or SP 80-200/2.8(30A) and 300/2.8 (360B) with dedicated TC's is hard to beat for the price of a new DA*300 or Bigma and the versatility is extraordinary. If I could only have one it'd be a draw between this and the 80-200/2.8.
The SP 180 + 140F TC at f8. (disregard incorrect SR setting in EXIF)
H2
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2009 Location: 14er Country Posts: 323
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 22, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $175.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fantastic Image Quality, Sturdy Build | | Cons: | Rarity | |
Tamron only made 3000 of these lenses, and that's a shame because it's one of the best lenses I've ever used.
I don't think I can really think of anything to fault this lens on, optically speaking. It's sharp wide open, and stupidly sharp by f5.6. It's easily outresolving the sensor on my K20D. Color, contrast, bokeh? This lens delivers in every category.
The only thing I can think to say is that if you find one, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Edited July, 2012. I've been in the process of cleaning out my lens closet, and this lens still isn't going anywhere. It works as well on the K-5 as it did my K20D. Additionally, I forgot to mention that it plays very, very well with the Tamron 140F 1.4x teleconverter.
Here are a few example images from this remarkable lens:
Flickr Link
Flickr Link
Flickr Link
I stand by what I said in my initial review. If you find one of these rare birds, buy it. The lens just flat out performs, and I can't really think of anything to fault it for other than being rare.
| | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: June, 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Posts: 17,377
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 11, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $390.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fast, Internal focus, low dispersion glass, sharp | | Cons: | It doesn't balance the greatest on a k200d body | |
This may be the best of the SP Adaptall-2 lenses. I have several of them and this is probably the best one I have. I don't have the 360B (or 60B) so I can't comment. I do have 90mm 52B and 52BB and it is better than them as a telephoto. It is compact and light for its speed and focal length. In addition to being 2.5, it has half step adjustments for aperture settings. It should rate somewhere between a 9 and 10. It works well in the A mode with my k200d. The only thing I can complain about is the way it balances. Since it has internal focusing (IF), this is minimized. Tamron should do one of these for Pentax in AF. Tamron only made 3000 of these for their 35th anniversary celebration in 1988 which are split up among all the major 35mm makers. This is the best handling manual focus telephoto lens over 150mm I have ever handled. The only manual focus lens that could replace it in my lineup would be the A* 200mm/2.8 lens.
Edit: I tried to add a jpeg of the lens but it didn't upload for some reason. Just a white screen of death.
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