Hands On: Tamron 90mm F/2.8 Di III Macro VXD: A legend returns
The world of photography would only be half as exciting without macro Lens. Tamron has revived an icon with the new 90mm F/2.8 Di III Macro VXD for Sony FE and Nikon Z. This lens continues the 45-year tradition of Tamron's 90mm macro lenses and undoubtedly belongs in every photographer's kit. Why? Let's take a closer look at its features and possible uses.
Why 90mm focal length?
The choice of focal length is crucial to the versatility of a Lens. With 90mm, Tamron has hit a perfect sweet spot:
- Portraits: Faces look natural and authentic thanks to minimal distortion.
- Macro shots: The focal length enables detailed close-ups with minimal distortion.
- Product and reproduction photography: Ideal for sharp and lifelike images of works of art or documents.
The combination of 90mm and the f/2.8 aperture also creates a soft bokeh and excellent background compression - ideal for cropping subjects.
The new fascia: Creativity with 12 blades
For the first time, Tamron has integrated a 12-blade diaphragm. This innovation ensures a particularly round bokeh and spectacular 12-blade aperture stars when stopped down. Especially at Christmas time, you can achieve magical effects with fairy lights and blurred backgrounds.
Jewelry photography with the Tamron 90mm F2.8 DI III Macro VXD
Amphibian macro photography with the Tamron 90mm f2.8 DI III
Liquid with the Tamron 90mm F2.8 DI III Macro VXD
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III MACRO VXD Sony FE-Mount
- high level of comfort and ease of use
- fast and high-precision AF with excellent subject tracking
- Focus button for assigning the camera function and TAMRON Lens Utility functions
- Focus limiter switch: faster focusing for AF shots and quick refocusing of subjects
- precise torque for exact MF operation
- improved lens design for user-friendly operation
- 67mm filter size, like most other TAMRON Lens for mirrorless cameras
Perfect macro functionality
As the name suggests, the Tamron 90mm is a true macro Lens. It offers a 1:1 reproduction scale with a minimum focus distance of 23 cm (from the sensor). What does that mean?
- Life-size image: A subject measuring 10 mm is displayed exactly 10 mm in size on the sensor.
- Outstanding sharpness of detail: The Lens delivers impressive results, especially for close-ups or the reproduction of works of art.
- Edge-to-edge sharpness: Thanks to the excellent optical correction, even flat subjects such as documents or works of art remain razor-sharp from edge to edge.
Advanced autofocus
The VXD autofocus (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) is modern and fast. It offers precise tracking, which makes the Lens versatile. However, it is not primarily designed for fast continuous shooting in sports photography - but it shines in portraits and macro.
Additional features
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Programmable button: The Lens can be connected via USB-C using the Tamron Lens Utility Software. This allows you to assign the button individually, e.g. for switching between autofocus and manual focus.
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Practical sunshade: Tamron has made handling even more convenient with a new sliding window for variable screw-in filters.
One fly in the ointment: an additional aperture ring or switch for the focus mode would have been desirable, especially for macro shots where manual focusing is often used. However, this can be partially compensated for with the programmable button.
Conclusion: Is the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 the right Lens for you?
This Lens scores with versatility, attention to detail and excellent image quality. Whether portraits, macro shots or reproduction work - the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 offers a solution for many photographic challenges.
