Smart_Photography_-_January_2016_

Mahesh Reddy

Aperture: f/8

Shutter Speed: 1sec

ISO: 1000;

Performance

The Tamron 45mm f/1.8 lens was

reasonably fast in autofocus in good

light, but struggled to focus in low

light. The AF operation was nearly

quiet, but not as smooth as some of

the professional models we have come

across. We also felt that the AF was

slightly off the mark in some cases.

It could also be a problem with this

particular piece that we tested.

The 45mm lens did not exhibit any trace

of distortion. It produced good overall

sharpness throughout the aperture

range, and from edge to edge. The lens

was sharpest from f/2 to f/8 and the

sweet spot was found to be f/4.

We observed strong darkening of

corners from f/1.8 to f/2.8, in spite of

Tamron’s claim that the lens produces

uniform illumination. The lens also

exhibited heavy �lare along with strong

purple fringing at f/1.8 in strong

against-the-light shots. Vibration

Correction did not provide much

advantage in the shutter speed.

Value for Money

The Tamron 45mm f/1.8 lens retails

at an MRP of Rs.47,500. Lenses from

the camera manufacturers with similar

speci�ications cost signi�icantly less if

you exclude the Vibration Correction

feature, which did not really provide any

advantage in our test. So this price is

certainly on the higher side. |SP

VERDICT

The Tamron SP45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

lens is weather-sealed and comes with

Vibration Correction, which are both

absent in most competitors. However, the

VC system does not seem to provide much

advantage in shutter speed, probably

because of the focal length and stability

of the lens when hand-held. Even the

performance leaves much to be desired.

PLUS

• Sturdy construction


• Weather sealing


• Uniform sharpness

MINUS

• Below par
  performance


• Over-priced

FINAL SCORE

Design and Build Quality 18/20

Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 17/20

Performance

Autofocus 3/5

Sharpness 4/5

Distortion control 4/5

Aberrations 3/5

Darkening

of corners 3/5

Extra features 3/5

Sub-Total 20/30

Value for Money 5/10

77 %

Focal length: 45mm

Maximum Aperture: f/1.8

Angle of View (diagonal): 51°21’ for full-

frame format; 34°28’ for APS-C format

Optical Construction: 10 elements in 8 groups

Min. focussing distance: 0.29m

Max. Magni�ication Ratio: 1:3.4

Filter Size: 67mm (dia)

Maximum Diameter: 80.4mm (dia)

Length: 91.7mm for Canon; 89.2mm for Nikon

Weight: 540g for Canon; 520g for Nikon

Aperture blades: 9 (circular aperture)

Minimum aperture: f/16

Compatible mounts: Canon, Nikon, Sony

KEY SPECIFICATIONS

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Smart PhotographyJanuary 2016