Tamron has just announced an update to its classic 90mm Macro lens, the 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO, with mounts for Sony E and Nikon Z full-frame mirrorless cameras.
Angled view of the new 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens. (Source: Tamron.)
The new lens is an update of the SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD lens, which we reviewed in December 2012. While that lens was designed primarily for DLSR cameras, the new lens is only for mirrorless cameras. The table below compares key features of both lenses to show the improvements made.
| 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens (Model F072), 2024 | SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD (Model F004), 2012 | |
| Lens construction | 15 elements in 12 groups | 14 elements in 11 groups |
| Exotic elements | 4 LD lens elements | two XDL and one LD elements |
| Environmental sealing | Yes plus BBAR-G2 and fluorine coatings | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 12 (circular aperture) | 9 (rounded aperture) |
| Stabilisation | No, relies on IBIS in the camera body | Yes; 3-4 f-stops compensation |
| Aperture range | f/2.8-f/16 | f/2.8-f/32 |
| Focus drive | VXD AF with linear motor | Ultrasonic Silent Drive |
| Minimum focus | 23 cm | 30 cm |
| Maximum magnification | 1:1 (life size) | |
| Focus limiter | Yes | Yes (full/normal/macro) |
| Filter size | 67 mm | 58 mm |
| Dimensions (Diameter x L) | 79.2 x 126.5 mm (E mount); 79.2 x 128.5 mm (Z mount) | 76.4 x 114.5 mm |
| Weight | 630 grams (E mount); 640 grams (Z mount) | 550 grams |
| Standard accessories | Cylindrical lens hood with filter effect control window, front and end caps | |
| Lens mounts | Sony E and Nikon Z | Canon, Nikon, Sony |
The new lens is the first from the company to include a 12-blade iris diaphragm that creates a circular aperture, ensuring perfectly circular bokeh and minimal vignetting especially in the macro range. It has a focus limiter switch to speed up autofocusing and minimise hunting, particularly when searching for focus across the full range. The rotational torque of the focus ring has also been calibrated to facilitate precise manual focusing and make fine-tuning the focus more accurate. According to Tamron the new lens was developed for cameras with in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) on the premise that the IS effect decreases as the shooting distance is reduced. Because this lens will be mainly used for close-ups, omitting in-lens stabilisation in favour of IBIS in the camera helps to keep the entire lens more compact.
Tamron says this lens is highly corrected for superior flat-field resolution, making it ideal for photographing documents, currency, artwork and product packaging as well as subjects where depth of field is too shallow to neutralize the loss of sharpness at their extreme edges. A new hood design provides a sliding window to enable photographers to rotate filters without removing the hood.
The new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens is due to arrive in local stores on 24 October at an RRP of AU$1,199.
