# Review - Tamron 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD



## Canon Rumors Guy (Nov 2, 2015)

Discuss our review of the Tamron 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD here.


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

Nice work as always, Dustin. I very much want a new 50-ish prime with fast/reliable/consistent AF. The 50L is too soft and the the Sigma Art is a monstrous pickle jar with inconsistent AF. I'm still waiting for Canon to get off it's butt and give us the 50 f/nooneknows IS USM that I think many of us would buy on day one. 

But while I'm waiting, I'm glad to see Tamron try to fill this void. Sounds like the principal concerns for what I shoot are AF speed and chromatic aberration. It's also much bigger and heavier than my old 50 f/1.4 USM, but not so bad in that regard as the Sigma. (In fairness, I suppose the days of the compact double gauss 50 prime might be over.)

How much slower would you peg the AF on this to a decent mid-level USM lens like the 35 f/2 IS USM? Is it still faster than the peppier variant of STM from Canon?

And have you had success at removing the chromatic aberrations in post, or was that problematic to accomplish? They are more of a hassle than an incorrectible problem, correct?

Thanks!

- A


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## MintChocs (Nov 2, 2015)

My guess is that street togs might like it on a FF and for portraits it would be usable on a APS-C.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 2, 2015)

I've just added this on my 'I tentatively want this' list. The short MFD and overall optical qualities please me as well as the reasonable weight and size. Dimensionally it is an almost perfect match to my Sigma 35mm A. 

Not sure if I would keep it next to my 50mm EX DG...

The 50mm A has been right out for me due to its massive size.


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

As a side note, offering a 50mm prime (or 45, 55, etc.) is a very very crowded commercial space. You need a gameplan and a very carefully though through value proposition. You need to be cheaper, or you need to be smaller, or you need to be lighter, sharper, whatever. 

Tamron appears to be putting VC (IS) on everything these days, and in the 50mm space, that's a very good call. Consider: B&H currently sells 21 primes between 45-56mm for the EF mount. _This is the *only* one with IS._

- A


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

mrsfotografie said:


> The 50mm A has been right out for me due to its massive size.



+1. I'd also indict that lens for AF inconsistency. I have no patience for that. 

- A


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 2, 2015)

ahsanford said:


> Nice work as always, Dustin. I very much want a new 50-ish prime with fast/reliable/consistent AF. The 50L is too soft and the the Sigma Art is a monstrous pickle jar with inconsistent AF. I'm still waiting for Canon to get off it's butt and give us the 50 f/nooneknows IS USM that I think many of us would buy on day one.
> 
> But while I'm waiting, I'm glad to see Tamron try to fill this void. Sounds like the principal concerns for what I shoot are AF speed and chromatic aberration. It's also much bigger and heavier than my old 50 f/1.4 USM, but not so bad in that regard as the Sigma. (In fairness, I suppose the days of the compact double gauss 50 prime might be over.)
> 
> ...



To answer your questions (though as for the former question I am working off memory, as I don't have either the 45mm VC or the 50mm STM in hand right now).

Focus speed is roughly similar between these two lenses. I expected both of them to be snappier than what they are. The biggest situation where you will notice any focus lag is when making a serious change from minimum focus to infinity (bigger focus throw with the Tamron). Most more subtle focus changes will happen very quickly. I pegged the 45mm as being just marginally faster than the Tamron 24-70 VC - if that helps. You will find that the Tamron has a much bigger focus throw than most autofocus primes, which is good for precision but not so good for speed.

Chromatic aberrations - the answer is yes they are easy to correct when it comes to purple fringing. I find the green fringing harder to correct for. The green fringing will mostly show up as bokeh fringing, and I don't find the "eyedropper" tool in Lightroom or Camera RAW works as effectively. In most cases you will only see it at a pixel level, though.

Here's a sample image with crops of before correction, after correction, and then a pixel level crop that will show the purple fringing eliminated after the eyedropper but a bit of the green fringing persisting.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 2, 2015)

mrsfotografie said:


> I've just added this on my 'I tentatively want this' list. The short MFD and overall optical qualities please me as well as the reasonable weight and size. Dimensionally it is an almost perfect match to my Sigma 35mm A.
> 
> Not sure if I would keep it next to my 50mm EX DG...
> 
> The 50mm A has been right out for me due to its massive size.



You've pretty much nailed the size. That's a good comparison point.


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

Thx Dustin. Great answers, thanks.

- A


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 2, 2015)

ahsanford said:


> As a side note, offering a 50mm prime (or 45, 55, etc.) is a very very crowded commercial space. You need a gameplan and a very carefully though through value proposition. You need to be cheaper, or you need to be smaller, or you need to be lighter, sharper, whatever.
> 
> Tamron appears to be putting VC (IS) on everything these days, and in the 50mm space, that's a very good call. Consider: B&H currently sells 21 primes between 45-56mm for the EF mount. _This is the *only* one with IS._
> 
> - A



I agree. It does help to distinguish the lens in a crowded field. I do think that Canon is going to regret not being more proactive about putting out a 50mm IS lens more quickly, but, as much as we rave about the 35mm f/2 IS now, I think that Canon got burned on that release thanks to the almost simultaneous release of the 35A. The Sigma got ALL the press, and probably a fair bit of the sales.


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## Good24 (Nov 2, 2015)

ahsanford said:


> As a side note, offering a 50mm prime (or 45, 55, etc.) is a very very crowded commercial space. You need a gameplan and a very carefully though through value proposition. You need to be cheaper, or you need to be smaller, or you need to be lighter, sharper, whatever.
> 
> Tamron appears to be putting VC (IS) on everything these days, and in the 50mm space, that's a very good call. Consider: B&H currently sells 21 primes between 45-56mm for the EF mount. _This is the *only* one with IS._
> 
> - A



Very interesting point. When Canon get around to releasing a 50mm IS I think/hope it will have massive appeal because I'm guessing Canon can make it lighter and smaller. Consider the 35mm f/2 IS is only 335 grams. This Tamron 45mm weighs the same as the 50 L but is about 50% longer.


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

Good24 said:


> ahsanford said:
> 
> 
> > As a side note, offering a 50mm prime (or 45, 55, etc.) is a very very crowded commercial space. You need a gameplan and a very carefully though through value proposition. You need to be cheaper, or you need to be smaller, or you need to be lighter, sharper, whatever.
> ...



Yep. You beat me to it.

I know the days of a super tiny / light double-gauss 50 prime may be over if you are chasing a 50 MP sensor in 2015, but I'd love something more on the right of this diagram than the left.

I coined the moniker 50 f/noooneknows IS sometime ago for the new non-L because _I secretly want 'nooneknows' to be 2.0_. I know that's heresy to a number of camps (bokeh people, old school 50 f/1.4 people, etc) but I want a tiny lens like the 35 f/2 IS. 

There. I said it. :

- A


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## Random Orbits (Nov 2, 2015)

ahsanford said:


> I know the days of a super tiny / light double-gauss 50 prime may be over if you are chasing a 50 MP sensor in 2015, but I'd love something more on the right of this diagram than the left.
> 
> I coined the moniker 50 f/noooneknows IS sometime ago for the new non-L because _I secretly want 'nooneknows' to be 2.0_. I know that's heresy to a number of camps (bokeh people, old school 50 f/1.4 people, etc) but I want a tiny lens like the 35 f/2 IS.
> 
> ...



I'm still hoping for the Canon 50 IS to be f/1.4. The 50 f/1.4 is small, and I'm hoping that the IS version won't be much bigger/heavier. Leave the fully corrected 50mm fast prime for the 50L f/1.2 II. That will give Canon three distinct tier ranges.


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## ahsanford (Nov 2, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> ahsanford said:
> 
> 
> > I know the days of a super tiny / light double-gauss 50 prime may be over if you are chasing a 50 MP sensor in 2015, but I'd love something more on the right of this diagram than the left.
> ...



I've gone and done it again. We're off-topic. My fault.

Back to the Tamron and Dustin's fine work.

- A


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## Random Orbits (Nov 2, 2015)

Kind of bummed that Tamron choose the 45mm focal length to preserve similarity to its 35mm counterpart. It's one thing to start with a common design, but having a suboptimal product to preserve a common 67mm filter size? Is it susceptible to chromatic aberrations because of this constraint?

This is a much bigger threat to Sigma than the Canon right now just because of the pricing and gap between the EF 50 f/1.4 and 50 f/1.2. If the 35L II with it's BR element is pointer to the 50L replacement, and the 50L replacement is better (even if slightly) than the 50A, then Canon will still do well in the market.


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## Plainsman (Nov 2, 2015)

Unfortunately from personal experience Tamron (and Sigma) lenses have serious QC issues if made in China.
If Dustin got this lens direct from Tamron it could have been carefully selected for him.
Don't be deceived by a nice looking lens and if in doubt buy Canon assuming of course it is built in Japan.
Nevertheless thanks for this review Dustin.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 2, 2015)

Plainsman said:


> Unfortunately from personal experience Tamron (and Sigma) lenses have serious QC issues if made in China.
> If Dustin got this lens direct from Tamron it could have been carefully selected for him.
> Don't be deceived by a nice looking lens and if in doubt buy Canon assuming of course it is built in Japan.
> Nevertheless thanks for this review Dustin.



Isn't that too generalistic?

I just bought a Tamron 28-300 VC PCD that was made in China, and is works fine, in line with the review Dustin did of a Japan-made copy.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 2, 2015)

ahsanford said:


> ...
> 
> I know that's heresy to a number of camps (bokeh people, old school 50 f/1.4 people, etc) but I want a tiny lens like the 35 f/2 IS.
> 
> ...



Which is why this still makes it into my bag anywhere I travel (or its equivalently sized sister, the 35mm f/2.0)


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 2, 2015)

Plainsman said:


> Unfortunately from personal experience Tamron (and Sigma) lenses have serious QC issues if made in China.
> If Dustin got this lens direct from Tamron it could have been carefully selected for him.
> Don't be deceived by a nice looking lens and if in doubt buy Canon assuming of course it is built in Japan.
> Nevertheless thanks for this review Dustin.



If you look at either my full review or the build quality video you will find that Tamron really emphasizes that these lenses are both designed and built in Japan (its on the lens and hood about three times!)

BTW, none of the high end Tamron lenses are built anywhere but Japan. I've only seen consumer grade lenses built in China.

As for a cherry picked copy - if that's the case (and I doubt it is as my reviews have been corroborated by other reviews since), I sure hope my own personal copy I ordered is cherry picked too ;D


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 2, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > ... Dimensionally it is an almost perfect match to my Sigma 35mm A ...
> ...



Here's a visual size comparison and it becomes very obvious. The Σ35A and T45 are almost exactly the same size - with the Tamron hitting the weight sweet point at 540 grams (I like my primes around ~0.5kg max). The Sigma is still a bit hefty at 665 grams. I like that they share the 67mm filter size.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Product-Images.aspx?Lens=1004&LensComp=829&LensComp2=473

Still, it's a bit shocking to see how 'big' (well, especially 'long') the T45 is compared to the old Σ50 EX DG HSM, but that is an 'old' double Gauss design. 

I think I'll keep my Σ50 EX even if I decide to purchase the T45 because it has a dreamy look that I like. I have a great copy but I sometimes hesitate to use it wide open: as a 'museum lens' it's good but it has a terrible macro ratio of 1:7.4 and it can be a lot of work to nail sharpness at apertures wider than f/2.8 because it has a focus shift that becomes a problem at these apertures. AF is not inconsistent on my copy, but I find I often compensate for the focus shift by using DOF preview and MF at apertures wider than f/2.8 when critical focus is needed. This, and the 'throw' of the Σ50 EX focus ring being a bit short, make for arduous manual focus work.

I expect the T45VC to deliver better for static low-light use. I like that it gets up close, and I don't have a normal EF prime yet that features image stabilization. In that sense I'm a bit spoiled already with the Sony 35 f/1.8 OSS. That's the trouble with pushing two camera systems... : ;D


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## TeT (Nov 3, 2015)

Plainsman said:


> Unfortunately from personal experience Tamron (and Sigma) lenses have serious QC issues if made in China.
> If Dustin got this lens direct from Tamron it could have been carefully selected for him.
> Don't be deceived by a nice looking lens and if in doubt buy Canon assuming of course it is built in Japan.
> Nevertheless thanks for this review Dustin.



I got mine 2nd hand off eBay from a seller in Alaska... It is perfect. I have already bought and sold a 35 (2nd hand as well, nikon mount oops had to buy and sell a camera to test it) it was perfect as well.

Test what you buy and send back what is rotten... all you can do.


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## FramerMCB (Nov 3, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> Plainsman said:
> 
> 
> > Unfortunately from personal experience Tamron (and Sigma) lenses have serious QC issues if made in China.
> ...



bravo Dustin! Great review(s) of both lenses. I read them first at your website before they were posted here. In fact, I began reading them before you had them completed...what you posted first. They look like a pair of beautiful lenses. And I'm seriously considering the 35mm version.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 3, 2015)

FramerMCB said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > Plainsman said:
> ...



Thanks! I just got work that my own 45mm is shipping to me tomorrow.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 3, 2015)

By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-45mm-f-1.8-Di-VC-USD-Lens.aspx 

Ironically he found the CA less objectionable than me. That surprised me, but its encouraging that perhaps it will bother me less when I shoot more with the lens.

P.S. Since I don't (yet) have a 5Ds body, I was glad to read that the image quality surpassed the increased scrutiny that the high resolution sensor provides.


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## Random Orbits (Nov 4, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> 
> http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-45mm-f-1.8-Di-VC-USD-Lens.aspx
> 
> ...



IQ looks good but the AF is potentially worrisome:

Center point AF accuracy has been very good for me most of the time, perhaps the best I've seen from a Tamron lens, but not always. Center AF point performance was notably not quite as accurate in low light levels and peripheral AF points have caused me more grief. Controlled testing and in the field use, including the capture of action sports in AI Servo AF mode, from both the EOS 1D X and the EOS 5Ds R, has shown that AF accuracy using peripheral AF points, including the vertically centered mid-right and mid-left AF points, has ranged between just OK and not so good. The peripheral AF points tended to focus behind the subject when mis-focusing occurred.


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## TeT (Nov 4, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> ...



I have had a few misses in poor light with my 6D. have not had a true miss yet in quality lighting.... I mostly use center point... comparing it to my other lenses it might be a little slower in poor light, but not enough that I can be sure.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 4, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> ...



It is common for AF issues to occur with large aperture (third party) lenses so this is not surprising. I assume Canon corrects for this with in-lens electronics. For me it is a non-issue as the only time I use the peripheral AF points is when I use tracking mode AF. 

Normally I focus and recompose, then re-meter as needed and take the shot. I couldn't be bothered selecting individual AF points as it doesn't fit with my shooting style.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 4, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> 
> http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-45mm-f-1.8-Di-VC-USD-Lens.aspx
> 
> ...



Dustin, in your experience how much does the CA issue improve when the lens is stopped down? This is the only thing holding me back at the moment.

From what I can see by looking at the TDP test charts and your real-world samples, it's not really transverse (lateral) CA that can be an issue with this lens but rather the axial (longitudinal) kind...

I'm happy that Bryan did a review as well, it works well for me to get a good impression of a lens by considering his technically oriented reviews and compare them to yours which give a more 'real life' feeling. Based on that I've already gone ahead and purchased a lens or two


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## GammyKnee (Nov 4, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> IQ looks good but the AF is potentially worrisome:



I've seen another review noting consistently bad performance with the outer points on a 6D (which aren't cross type). One earlier buyer on dpreview also had trouble in this area BUT... he exchanged for a second copy which is apparently completely free of the issue. No reports so far of bad center point performance (that I've seen, and believe me I've done a lot of searching).

So basically I'm assuming that there are going to be some copies out there that give grief with non-center AF, and when I buy I'll go for a store with a good exchange policy.


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## meywd (Nov 4, 2015)

Great review Dustin, the best feature is the short MFD, and of course the price, which makes this lens interesting, but I really hope Canon releases a new 50mm 1.2 or 1.4 L series lens on par with the 35mm f/1.4 II, as for IS, sorry ahsanford but I don't think it will come anytime soon.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 4, 2015)

mrsfotografie said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> ...



It definitely clears up when stopped down. I have a stopped down version of the image I shared on the first page of this review and there is no visible CA. My Lightroom is busy outputting images for a client at the moment, but I'll output an example when its done and post it here.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 4, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, Bryan Carnathan just released his review of the 45mm VC and actually gave it the most enthusiastic review I've EVER seen him give a Tamron.
> ...



I interpreted this as some misses during AF Servo focus when in outer points. I personally found that I had slower focus in some situations with outer points on my 6D, but not many actual misses. I'll do more AF servo testing on my own copy of the lens, though this isn't typically a priority use for this kind of lens in my own shooting style. I recognize that others may be using this lens in a more general purpose way, however.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 4, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> ...



I found just the slightest trace at a pixel level on one branch, but not around the leaves. I'm attaching three images:
1) The photo (at f/4)
2) Crop of the "area of vulnerability"
3) Crop after a one click Lightroom correction.

Hopefully this will give you a clear look as to whether or not the CA is a serious issue for you.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 4, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > mrsfotografie said:
> ...



Thanks Dustin

It looks a lot better now. Realistically I would stop down to about f/5.6 or so for a shot like this so CA should probably be even less and not be issue for me, possibly removing the need to correct in post all together. I do recognize that back-lit branches always present an unforgiving situation to any lens, and whether to correct or not depends on the severity of the aberration and end-use of the picture. 

In any event it's good to see the purple CA easily corrected in post. I wonder how DPP will fare with that, given that by editing the exif data, it's possible to enable the lens aberration correction functionality in DPP for third-party lenses. I already got great results getting DPP to 'think' my Tamron 28-300 is actually a Canon 28-300. Of course the lens profiles aren't equal but it's easy to tweak the image using the sliders. For the 45mm I would like to try out the Canon 50mm f/1.8, F/1.4 or f/1.2 profiles to see which gives the best comparable correction results. Note that I do use Lightroom for my Sony raws but I have a strained affair with that software and prefer DPP for my Canon files because of editing speed and OEM in-camera function support. 

FWIW Lightroom 6.2.1 does already include the Tamron 45mm lens correction profile. Have you tried that, yet? It may give better results than the fringe color selector method.


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 5, 2015)

mrsfotografie said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> ...



I actually find the profile a little overly aggressive. Not with CA, but with peripheral illumination and distortion. There's next to no distortion already, and the vignette is not bad, so it just seems to overdo things a hair for my taste. I find that on a number of images I have tried the profile and then unchecked it.

It's a bit similar to the Tamron 15-30 VC profile - just a bit too much.


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 5, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> ...



Thank you Dustin. I find I leave most of my images uncorrected as well, save when distortion, vignetting or CA become disturbing because correcting for every 'flaw' makes the images too clinical. Besides, even with distortion present I find I often prefer to leave it in because that is what I saw through the viewfinder. 

It is CA correction I use most often.


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## Random Orbits (Nov 5, 2015)

GammyKnee said:


> Random Orbits said:
> 
> 
> > IQ looks good but the AF is potentially worrisome:
> ...



Agreed, but I'm wondering if the AF performance is camera specific. The 1DX and 5DIII AF systems are more similar and, together, significantly different than the 6D. I previously had the 5DII and I only used the center point for fast lenses because the outer points were so poor. The 5DIII was revelatory; I could use fast glass with many of the AF points (cross points) which gave a lot more freedom in framing.


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## GammyKnee (Nov 5, 2015)

Random Orbits said:


> Agreed, but I'm wondering if the AF performance is camera specific. The 1DX and 5DIII AF systems are more similar and, together, significantly different than the 6D. I previously had the 5DII and I only used the center point for fast lenses because the outer points were so poor. The 5DIII was revelatory; I could use fast glass with many of the AF points (cross points) which gave a lot more freedom in framing.



Good point. I'm just hoping that Bryan got a dodgy copy, which might not be the case. I'm pretty much center-point only with my 5DII but I very much want to be able to use all or most of the cross-types on my 5DIII. 

Still, when UK stores (eventually) get a decent stock of the 45s I'll give them a go.


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## searsie (Nov 14, 2015)

Sadly, after spending a week with this lens and trying really hard to love it I have sent it back to B&H. Loved the build, sharpness wide open, the VC but just could not deal with AF inconsistency. AFMA was only -1 but about every fourth or so shot missed badly. When it hit lovely lens  but I wanted better than 60-70% keeper rate. Using 6D center point don't even go near the outer points. Could be copy variation and I may give the lens another whirl once it becomes more available locally here in Toronto so I can test the copy before I buy again. Damn I wish Canon would come up with something decent in this FL.


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## GammyKnee (Nov 16, 2015)

Well I've just got the 45 from Wex here in the UK. I'll give it a little go this evening and over the next few days with my 5D II and III bodies and report back here in due course. Fingers crossed it's a good copy...


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 16, 2015)

GammyKnee said:


> Well I've just got the 45 from Wex here in the UK. I'll give it a little go this evening and over the next few days with my 5D II and III bodies and report back here in due course. Fingers crossed it's a good copy...



Definitely report back. I find everyone's feedback interesting. I've only used one copy (though I've purchased my own -second copy) but am waiting for my wife to give it to me for Christmas 

Few of us have the opportunity that Roger does to review multiple copies of everything. I'm actually surprised at the reports of AF issues for two reasons: 1) I didn't notice any of those issues in either the 35mm or 45mm when I reviewed them and 2) I've been using a number of Tamrons professionally for several years and have had very, very good focus accuracy with them (24-70 VC, 70-200 VC, and 15-30 VC more recently.)


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## GammyKnee (Nov 16, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> Definitely report back. I find everyone's feedback interesting. I've only used one copy (though I've purchased my own -second copy) but am waiting for my wife to give it to me for Christmas



Hehe.. it's going to feel like a long time until Christmas then!

I've had the lens on both bodies for a bit tonight, just to get first impressions of the AF, VC - nothing more than that until tomorrow when I'll have West of Scotland "not-night-light" (it doesn't really qualify as daylight).

My first shots with the center point of the 5DII showed that AFMA was needed. I dialled in a guestimated adjustment (nothing extreme) on the spot, and after that focus seemed to be in the ball park and pretty consistent given the energy saving lighting in most of our house. I didn't try the outer points on this body (I rarely trust them anyway). The lens was quite slow to focus, yet surprisingly decisive (very little hunting).

For the 5DIII I performed a quick dottune AF adjustment under artificial daylight-temp lighting (-2), and then went about shooting various things with a selection of the mark III's cross-type points elsewhere in the house. Focus speed was noticeably snappier on the mark III than the mark II (more so than I'd have expected) and the center point performed a bit better than the non-center cross points (no surprise), but given the poor lighting I feel that it did pretty well AF-wise. 

Tomorrow I'll be able to try some daylight shots, check for sharpness, decentering etc but right now I'd have to say that if I end up sending this lens back it probably won't be for AF. It's early days but I have to say I'm quite relieved, having had some "fun" times with Sigma and Canon's 50 1.4 in the past.

BTW the VC is really good, noticeably better than the IS on Canon 24-105. According to the manual it can be used with panned shots (dubious about that but we'll see in due course).


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## TWI by Dustin Abbott (Nov 17, 2015)

GammyKnee said:


> TWI by Dustin Abbott said:
> 
> 
> > Definitely report back. I find everyone's feedback interesting. I've only used one copy (though I've purchased my own -second copy) but am waiting for my wife to give it to me for Christmas
> ...



Some quality feedback. Interesting to hear how much different AF speed is between the 5D3 and the 5D2. I know that newer Canon lenses are designed to get that speed advantage when mounted on certain bodies; I wonder if Tamron has found a way to reverse engineer for that?

One of the things that I think you will really enjoy about the lens is the overall drawing and look of the images. It really is very, very nice.


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## GammyKnee (Nov 17, 2015)

TWI by Dustin Abbott said:


> Some quality feedback. Interesting to hear how much different AF speed is between the 5D3 and the 5D2. I know that newer Canon lenses are designed to get that speed advantage when mounted on certain bodies; I wonder if Tamron has found a way to reverse engineer for that?
> 
> One of the things that I think you will really enjoy about the lens is the overall drawing and look of the images. It really is very, very nice.



Thanks Dustin. I had a bit more time to play with the lens this morning on the 5DIII, and I'm seeing something of what Bryan at TDP described with respect to the outer cross-type points. The center point seems really dependable, the central bank of 21 are also pretty good, but the outer cross-types seem to struggle when the subject is a few metres away and/or lacking strong contrast.

That said, it's still easily the best auto-focusing 50-ish prime I've had: 
- my old Canon 50 1.8 II had very iffy AF in low light
- my Canon 50 1.4 was really unpredictable and could point blank refuse to focus accurately in certain conditions
- my third copy of the Sigma 50 DG EX (pre-Art) has given me some nice shots, but I can really only trust it on my mark III body (very inconsistent on the mark II) and then only if I use AI Servo all the time; one-shot is hopeless

Regarding the focusing speed, I checked again with my mark II and yep, it's still noticeably slower on that body. To be fair I see a difference with my Canon 85 1.8 too, but it's less pronounced. It's a wash with my other lenses (no recent models though). 

Maybe Tamron has indeed made a breakthrough in deciphering Canon's lens interface. One thing is for sure, on both bodies, the *full model name of the lens* is recognized. When you go into the AFMA screen, you're adjusting the "Tamron SP 45mm F/1.8 Di VC USD F013" not some nameless lens with a 45mm focal length. The same goes for the EXIF; the full model name is stated in there. I've never seen that with a 3rd party lens before (though I've only ever used Sigma). Are older Tamron lenses also recognized, or is this new to the SP series?

Anyway, bottom line is that this lens is a keeper for me. The weaker performance with the outer AF points is something I can live with, particularly as it only seems to happen at distances where focus-and-recompose is a viable workaround. And anyway, it's a small compromise given the big jump in IQ over what I've had before at this focal length. And then there's the VC coupled with unusually close focusing...

All I need now is for the weather to perk up a bit so I can put the lens to proper use.

BTW it was your review that convinced me to give this lens a try - big thank you for that!


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## mrsfotografie (Nov 17, 2015)

GammyKnee said:


> .... One thing is for sure, on both bodies, the *full model name of the lens* is recognized. When you go into the AFMA screen, you're adjusting the "Tamron SP 45mm F/1.8 Di VC USD F013" not some nameless lens with a 45mm focal length. The same goes for the EXIF; the full model name is stated in there. I've never seen that with a 3rd party lens before (though I've only ever used Sigma). Are older Tamron lenses also recognized, or is this new to the SP series?...



Interestingly, my new Tamron 28-300mm VC PCD also does that, I've noticed although I didn't pay too much attention to the fact earlier.


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