Smart_Photography_-_January_2016_

T

hird party lens manufacturers

have been traditionally

considered budget options for

major camera brands. However, of

late, these manufacturers have started

bringing out premium lenses with

superior optics, sturdy construction,

and fast apertures, competing directly

with the camera manufacturers. The

new Tamron SP series prime lenses are

manufactured with the same principles

in mind.

Design and Build Quality

The Tamron SP45mm f/1.8 is a

premium lens and it surely re�lects in

the look and feel. The outer body is

made of metal and composites. It has a

metal mount and a matte-�inished metal

ring that provides a classy look. The

lens is weather-sealed with a rubber

ring that keeps dust and water from

reaching the lens �lange or sensor. The

distance scale is legibly marked with

white lettering. The design of this lens

and the build quality are signi�icantly

better than most other Tamron lenses.

The lens has two buttons, one for

Vibration Compensation (VC) and the

second for Focus mode. VC provides

only On/Off options and Focus modes

are Autofocus (AF) and Manual Focus

(MF). The lens has a �ilter size of 67mm

and a maximum diameter of 80.4mm.

It has a length of 91.7mm for the Canon

and 89.2mm for the Nikon model. The

lens weighs 540g and 520g for Canon

and Nikon respectively.

Key Features

The Tamron 45mm f/1.8 lens is

primarily designed for 35mm Full-

Frame cameras, but can also be used

with APS-C sensor cameras. The lens

is constructed with 10 elements in 8

groups including two molded glass

aspherical elements which help in

achieving uniform sharpness and

illumination throughout the �ield. This

also compensates for spherical and

chromatic aberrations. In addition

to this, the lens uses an LD (Low

Dispersion) element. This element

helps deliver crisp and clear images

and eliminate colour fringing. The lens

employs optical Vibration Compensation

(VC) to deliver blur-free images even in

low light.

The Tamron 45mm lens uses a 9-bladed

diaphragm providing a circular aperture

to reproduce a nice bokeh. The lens

provides a minimum aperture of f/16.

It is available in Canon, Nikon, and Sony

mounts. The lens uses an Ultrasonic

Silent Drive (USD) focus motor, which

is believed to provide faster, more

accurate, and silent autofocus. This

provides full time manual override even

in autofocus mode.

The 45mm lens is coated with eBAND

(Extended Bandwidth and Angular-

Dependency) and BBAR (Broad-Band

Anti-Re�lection) anti-re�lection coatings

that eliminate �lare and ghosting. eBAND

is a nano-structured coating that offers

higher transmissivity and improves anti-

re�lection characteristics against angular

incident rays. The lens has a minimum

All-weather Prime

focussing distance of 0.29m, which is

stated to be the best in this category

of lenses. The 45mm lens provides a

maximum magni�ication ratio of 1:3.4.

The lens also has a Fluorine coating

that provides long-lasting oil and water

resistance. This makes it easier to wipe

moisture and smudges away. The lens

is constructed with weather sealing

that prevents moisture from entering

the internal mechanisms of the lens,

allowing you to shoot outdoors in

adverse conditions.

Ergonomics

We used a Canon EOS 600D to test

the lens, and the Tamron 35mm f/1.8

balanced well with the Full-Frame body.

With the straight barrel construction,

the lens offers excellent grip. The

textured rubber �inish on the zoom

ring makes it comfortable to operate.

Though the Focus mode on the lens

has only AF and MF options, the lens

features full-time manual focus. The

lack of any protective coating on the

outer lens barrel makes it too cold and

uncomfortable to hold, especially if you

use the lens in cold climates.

Tamron SP45mm

f/1.8 Di VC USD^ `47,500 Sujith Gopinath

✓ Lens

✓ Lens front and back caps

✓ Flower-shaped lens hood

✓ Warranty and lens literature

Inside the Box

LENS

REVIEW

108

Smart PhotographyJanuary 2016

http://www.smartphotography.in