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Archive 2016 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

dtolios
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Early samples posted in :www.the-digital-picture.com.

The lens looks impressively consistent throughout the frame, handily beating the corner performance of the 85mm competition, beating corner sharpness and LoCA performance of Otus, Canon, Samyang, Nikon etc @ 1.8~f/2! The Zeiss Milvus 85 f/1.4 is the only lens that appears to be more uniform throughout the frame - at least in the digital picture samples.

Center sharpness is definitely better than that of the much cheaper Canon 85mm 1.8, but the more closely priced Sigma 85mm 1.4, and pretty much any f/1.4 85 other than the Samyang appear to be sharper there, even wide open. Stopped down at f/2, most 85 1.4 lenses are better imho, yet the corner to corner sharpness and lack of CA with the Tamron remains impressive.

Not blown away mostly due to pricing being so close to the Sigma's 85 1.4, but, kudoz.

Apr 13, 2016 at 01:03 PM

banpreso
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

very impressive CA and corner performance! bokeh is important for this focal length. i wonder how does the tamron compare in this aspect.

Apr 13, 2016 at 10:07 PM

Lee Saxon
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

I don't put a lot of faith in TDP's ISO charts, honestly.

First of all, despite the careful methodology described they're focused by a fallible human and aren't perfect. I've seen ones with missed focus and even ones with motion blur (probably not a shutter speed issue but someone forgetting to turn off VR which actually works against you on a tripod).

Plus, they only do one sample of the lens so it's susceptible to sample variation. For example I think they got a REALLY good 85 Milvus and an only-fairly-good 85 Otus. Yes the MTF charts (which are machine-focused and an average of at least 10 copies of the lens, and actually reliable) show that the Milvus is better in the corners, but not by as much as the ISO charts show.

Or maybe it's not sample variation but the other thing ISO charts are extremely susceptible to: field curvature. If you know how to use and position it, field curvature doesn't necessarily mean bad corners. ISO charts don't reflect that.

I say, look at MTF charts, distortion graphs, and other actually-objective measurements, and also look at real world photography. ISO charts are this halfway point between the two which is...meh.

But yeah this lens looks great and I'm really anxious to try it out haha

Apr 14, 2016 at 12:35 AM

Sorbet
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

The MTF looks really good and the VC makes this lens more useful to me than the Sigma 85mm. I may use it on both full-frame and crop, where it gives a 135mm field of view. On a crop, the VC becomes even more useful. Currently the only other ways to get an image-stabilized 135mm field of view are with a mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization, or with a huge 70-200 zoom. I prefer this Tamron because it works with the cameras I already have and isn't huge.

Apr 14, 2016 at 12:23 PM

dtolios
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Lee Saxon wrote:
I don't put a lot of faith in TDP's ISO charts, honestly....

First of all, despite the careful methodology described they're focused by a fallible human and aren't perfect.

Well, nothing is perfect, even the much more sophisticated tests Roger pulls in Lensrentals.com with $200K worth of machines - although I will be waiting for him to do a group test with 85mm lenses now that both the 85 1.4 G and the Tamron 85 VC are out

Lets just state for the record that if I was to get a "non-perfect" Otus sample, I would be piiiiiissed!

Sorbet wrote:
The MTF looks really good and the VC makes this lens more useful to me than the Sigma 85mm. I may use it on both full-frame and crop, where it gives a 135mm field of view. On a crop, the VC becomes even more useful. Currently the only other ways to get an image-stabilized 135mm field of view are with a mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization, or with a huge 70-200 zoom. I prefer this Tamron because it works with the cameras I already have and isn't huge.

The 85 1.4 Sigma isn't that huge of a huge lens vs. the competition. It is actually the same size as the Tamron, and only slightly heavier. If anything, it is the Tamron that's the 1.8 "behemoth"

Nikon AFS 85 1.8G: (350g) 3.1 x 2.9"
Canon EF 85 1.8 : (425g) 3.0 x 2.8"
Zeiss Batis 85 1.8: (475g) 3.19 x 3.62"
Nikon AFS 85 1.4G: (575g) 3.4 x 3.3"
Tamron 85 1.8 VC: (660gr) 3.34 x 3.50"
Sigma 85 1.4 EX : (725g) 3.4 x 3.4"
Sony 85 1.4GM: (820g) 3.52 x 4.23"
Canon EF 85 1.2 II: (1025g) 3.6 x 3.3"
Zeiss Otus 85 1.4: (1200g) 4.0 x 4.9"
Zeiss Milvus 85 1.4: (1280g) 3.54 x 4.45"

Modern fast 85s are not the most low-key primes apparently

Edited on Apr 14, 2016 at 07:14 PM · View previous versions

Apr 14, 2016 at 03:18 PM

Sorbet
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

When I mentioned "huge" lenses, I was talking about 70-200mm zooms, not the Sigma 85mm. I realize the Tamron is big for an 85/1.8. My point is about getting a 135mm field of view with image stabilization. This Tamron 85 mounted on an aps-c camera is the only way to get that 135mm field of view with image stabilization, other than using a huge 70-200 zoom, or switching to a mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization. The closest I've gotten to that so far is with the 100L IS, but that's a little longer than I want (on a crop body), and a little shorter than I want (on full-frame), and it's f/2.8. So this Tamron is in a sweet spot for my uses right now.

Apr 14, 2016 at 06:18 PM

phuang3
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

The Tamron 85/1.8 test shot form TDP revealed that they may not get center focused precisely. Although test shots from TDP are not with scientific accuracy, they are still valuable to some extend.

Apr 17, 2016 at 07:36 PM

Sorbet
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

phuang3 wrote:
The Tamron 85/1.8 test shot form TDP revealed that they may not get center focused precisely. Although test shots from TDP are not with scientific accuracy, they are still valuable to some extend.

If you look at the MTF chart for the Tamron 85/1.8, it has a dip in the center. That suggests that the center is a little less sharp than the mid-frame. But it's still very good even with that dip in the center.
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tamron-SP-85mm-f1.8-Di-VC-USD-MTF-Chart.png

Apr 18, 2016 at 12:53 PM

johnctharp
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

I'm still looking for more in-use results; being larger than the 85/1.8 USM isn't as big of a deal if it doesn't handle LoCA any better real-world (and as bad as the 35/45 VC lenses were, I'm not optimistic), AF isn't accurate, and it isn't snappy. I can live with the Canon lens' shortcomings at wider apertures, or even use them for effect, but meeting or exceeding that lens' noteworthy features would certainly make the larger size and higher price more palatable.

And then there's rendering; the mirrorless design Tamron did for Zeiss in the Batis doesn't appear to be portrait-oriented, like most fast lenses in that range, and one would hope for something more flattering for that use in this Tamron.

Apr 18, 2016 at 02:00 PM

Lee Saxon
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Have you tested out the 45 yourself? I'm bummed to hear that because the tests I've seen made it look very promising.

Apr 18, 2016 at 07:12 PM

Andre Y
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

You should rent the lens to check it out for yourself. I think it has a good portrait rendering with a pretty relaxed look but that's on a D810. The results on CA performance I've seen here and DPR on a Canon seem to be different and worse than on a Nikon. I have no idea why --- there are no correction profiles in LR/ACR so I couldn't have applied those.

The 45 has worse secondary LoCA (ie. bokeh fringing) than the 85 and lower microcontrast too. The 45's AF is also much slower.

Apr 18, 2016 at 08:06 PM

johnctharp
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Lee Saxon wrote:
Have you tested out the 45 yourself? I'm bummed to hear that because the tests I've seen made it look very promising.

Not yet, and the 45 is certainly less disappointing than the 35, which for all intents and purposes is a meaningless release on EF-mount. Thing is, sharp as the 45 has been shown to be wide-open, I've less use for it given the size and price, when I have a 50/1.8 STM that also focuses a bit slow, has enough resolution wide-open, struggles with LoCA, and focuses as close as I'd need a non-macro normal prime to focus, all in a far more compact and affordable package.

If I needed what the Tamron offered, I'd be on top of it, sure- it looks like a boon for DSLR video with decent rendering, wide-open bite, stabilization and well-controlled vignetting that should get more notice than it does.

Apr 18, 2016 at 08:28 PM

Sorbet
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Here is an interesting video review of the lens:

Apr 21, 2016 at 12:08 AM

MAubrey
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Lenstip's review is up.

http://www.lenstip.com/index.php?test=obiektywu&test_ob=472

Apr 21, 2016 at 11:28 AM

Andre Y
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Tamron 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

We don't seem to have an image thread for this sleeper lens (it's the best all-around DSLR 85mm), so I'll post them here. Both images have 2 or 3 frames of focus stacking to get the various elements in focus.

20170305-817940-Edit

20170305-817946-Edit

Mar 05, 2017 at 07:21 PM


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