Nikon D200, Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro

Cameras and Lenses: Images with a Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro, a legendary macro and portrait photography cult-classic celebrated for exceptional sharpness, high contrast, and smooth bokeh, a 135mm catwalk-tele equivalent on the Nikon D200.

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The Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro, renowned for its extreme sharpness and beautiful color rendering, was introduced in 1979. The lens, a true legend among vintage lenses, was widely praised as a versatile tool that excels both as a sharp macro lens and a smooth portrait lens, and is a cult classic that remains highly respected today.

The lens is a 8 elements in 6 groups design, with 8 or 9 aperture blades (depending on the specific production run), an aperture range from f/2.5 to f/32, focuses down to 0.39 meters with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2, measures 65mm x 72-92mm (varies slightly by model), takes 49mm filters, and weighs approximately 440 to 450 grams.

The lens was produced over two iterations, with the original Model 52B (1979) featuring an all-metal build, and the later Model 52BB (1988), as tested here, having similar optics, a redesigned exterior with some plastic components, and improved coating.

The Model 52BB, as seen here, is nominally supplied with the Tamron 98FH, a twist-on plastic hood to help exclude stray light from degrading contrast, and provides physical protection to the front of the lens. While the lens focuses down natively to 1:2, full 1:1 macro reproduction is possible with the addition of a dedicated 45mm extension tube or by utilizing the Tamron SP 2x Teleconverter.

On the Nikon D200, with its 10MP APS-C CCD sensor, the Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro is equivalent to a 135mm short-telephoto prime on a full-frame camera, a highly sought-after focal length that lets you shoot with extra working distance for skittish insects in macro mode, or with excellent background separation compression for tight portraits.

The focal length is renowned for its incredible subject isolation, flattering compression, and is perfect for separating subjects from a busy background while working at a comfortable working distance. For outdoor and studio portraits, for example, the longer focal length flattens facial features, and for street and events, the lens is perfect for capturing candid moments, scenes, and happenings without being intrusive.

Matching the D200's magnesium-alloy body and the substantially all-metal and glass Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro helps keep the setup stable for steady close-up shots, and focusing with the long, smooth focus throw of the lens on the big, bright pentaprism viewfinder of the D200, with its electronic focus confirmation (green dot function), is also flawless and convenient.

A quirk to note, however, is the lens design, which tends to exhibit nuances of focus breathing, an anomaly where the lens's focal length (and consequently its field of view or framing) changes subtly as you adjust the focus. The field of view narrows noticeably when focusing at the closest distance.

Nikon D200, Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 Macro (52BB)

Purple spots reflections, a soft purple flare spot in the dead center of the frame, may also occur when shooting a high-contrast subject on a digital sensor. This happens when light bounces off the shiny sensor back onto the rear lens element, which is rather flat.