Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens (Model F072)

      Photo Review 9.0

      In summary

      The latest iteration of Tamron’s iconic 90mm macro lens offers leading-edge technology and superior performance for owners of Sony’s E-mount and Nikon’s Z-mount cameras.

      Full review

      Announced on 26 September, 2024, the new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens (Model F072) is an update of a popular DSLR lens, which we reviewed in December 2012. The new lens has been designed specifically for mirrorless cameras and is offered in mounts for the latest Sony E and Nikon Z full-frame cameras, although it is also usable on cameras with APS-C sized sensors, where it will have an effective focal length equivalent to 135mm on a full-frame camera due to frame cropping.

      Tamron’s new 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens (Model F072) lens, shown without the supplied lens hood. (Source: Tamron.)

      The optical design in the new lens, shown below, is a little more complex than the previous model, with 15 elements in 12 groups, among them four special glass LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements. Together, they make light rays less divergent, delivering higher resolution away from the centre of the frame and also correct both spherical and chromatic aberration.


      This diagram shows positions of the low dispersion elements in the optical construction of the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens.
      (Source: Tamron.)

      BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating significantly reduces ghosting and flare, including in backlit conditions. This lens is also notable for being the first from Tamron to include a 12-blade iris diaphragm, which creates a circular aperture to deliver circular bokeh and minimal vignetting especially in the macro range.

      It includes a focus limiter switch to speed up autofocusing and minimise hunting when adjusting focus across different zones in the range. The rotational torque of the focus ring has also been calibrated to allow precise manual focusing and make fine-tuning the focus more accurate.

      We reviewed the Sony E-mount version of the lens for this report, using the Sony α7 II camera body.

      Who’s it For?
      Like other true macro lenses, the 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is designed for photographers who want to capture life-sized images of small objects in the field. However, it will also suit portrait photographers because the 90mm focal length provides a good camera-to-subject working distance plus a natural-looking perspective.

      Commercial photographers who capture product shots and reproduce art works will also find it useful as this lens is highly corrected for superior flat-field resolution. This makes it ideal for photographing documents and pictures (including old photo prints), currency, artwork and product packaging as well as subjects with very shallow depths of field where standard lenses may suffer from reduced edge sharpness.

      The Sony E mount version is fully compatible with the company’s latest cameras, including the α7 IV, α7R V and α7 CII, while the Nikon Z mount version will suit the Z9, Z8, Z7 II and Z6 III 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 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 Cylindrical lens hood, front and end caps.
      Lens mounts Sony E and Nikon Z Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E

      According to Tamron this lens has been developed for cameras with in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) on the premise that the IS effect decreases as the shooting distance is reduced. This design choice has helped to keep the lens more compact, without compromising its usefulness for hand-held shooting.

      The new lens fills a gap in the Z-mount system, where Nikon has only two models, a 50mm f/2.8 and a 105mm f/2.8, the latter with VR stabilisation. Sony has a competing macro lens, the FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS, which has a similar RRP to the Tamron lens but includes optical stabilisation (not quantified) and a clutch-type AF/MF switch.

      Build and Ergonomics
      The new lens is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor, with the diameter increasing by 2.6 mm to accommodate the wider lens mounts in mirrorless cameras. This also enabled Tamron to use the same 67mm diameter filter thread as is used for most other Tamron mirrorless camera lenses. The Z mount version is two millimetres longer than the Sony version and 10 grams heavier, neither being a significant difference for the end user.

      Like other recent Tamron lenses, the 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 MACRO lens barrels are made mainly from polycarbonate resin (aka ‘engineering plastic’), which is tough, lightweight and durable as well as thermally highly stable. This enables it to be used in a variety of environments, including high and low temperatures and humidities.

      The exterior surfaces have a low gloss with improved abrasion resistance and the outer barrel has a comfortable shape that fits snugly and naturally in the hand. Redesigned striped patterning on the rubber focusing and zoom rings enhances smooth operability.

      The front element is roughly 35 mm in diameter and located about 2 mm back from the l2 mm deep leading edge of the lens barrel, which carries an inner threading for 67 mm diameter filters plus an outer bayonet mount for the supplied cylindrical lens hood. This hood has a sliding window that allows photographers to rotate filters without having to remove the hood.


      This image shows the sliding window in the lens hood in use. (Source: Tamron.)

      Immediately behind the hood mounting the barrel curves out a couple of millimetres to meet the focusing ring, which is 40 mm wide and carries a 30 mm wide, finely-ridged rubber grip coating.  Internal focusing means its length doesn’t change and the front element doesn’t rotate, regardless of how near or far it is focused.

      Unlike the DSLR versions of this lens, there’s no AF/MF switch; instead switching between auto and manual focusing must be done in the camera. In MF mode, the focusing ring turns smoothly through a full circle and is well damped, making it easy to adjust focus precisely.

      The lens barrel curves in again to form a 35mm band that carries the main controls, which consist of a focus limiter slider and a focus set button. The focus limiter has three positions: MOD-0.7m, 0.7m-infinity and FULL, while the focus set button can be customised to handle a particular function via the Tamron Lens Utility.

      The barrel curves in slightly once again before straightening out for about 15 mm and then curving in again to end in a 13 mm long section that terminates in a silver ring around the metal lens mount. The lens fitted very snugly on the review camera body.

      Like most macro lenses, this lens can be easier to operate when the camera is tripod-mounted because you have more flexibility with aperture setting and can shoot with slower shutter speed settings and maximise the depth-of-field in subjects. Tripod mounting also eliminates the need for stabilisation when maximum depth-of-focus is desired, either when you stop the lens down or use focus stacking.

      Performance
      Our Imatest tests showed the new lens to be an excellent performer, delivering high resolution across a wide range of aperture settings, with diffraction beginning to take effect from about f/7.1 on, although resolution remained quite high at f/16. As expected, the differences between centre and edge resolution were minimal, as shown in the graph of our test results below, confirming the lens has the high flatness of field you would expect from a true macro lens.

      Lateral chromatic aberration was negligible, another expected feature of a true macro lens. In the graph below, the red line marks the boundary between ‘negligible’ and ‘low’ CA.

      Distortion was impossible to detect with our tests, further confirming the flatness of field in this lens. Vignetting at the widest apertures was barely detectable, another expected characteristic.

      The flat field of this lens makes it a great tool for copying old photos, including those you wish to carry out further work on. Many precious prints are small enough to require a good macro lens when extensive editing will be required to eliminate blemishes and you require maximum image data to work with.

      Our tests showed it was equally good for photographing small items like collectables and jewellery. Examples of these applications are provided in the Samples section of this review.

      We found autofocusing speed was heavily influenced by whether the appropriate focus limiter setting was used. When it wasn’t, hunting was common, particularly at macro distances. With the right setting, focusing was mostly quick and accurate.

      Backlit subjects were mostly handled well but sunstars were a little soft – probably as a result of slight veiling flare.  We also found a few flare artefacts in shots taken for our sunstar tests.

      Bokeh was much as you would expect from a high-quality macro lens, with nice background blurring both at wide apertures and with the aperture stopped down, as shown in the sample images below. We found traces of highlight outlining in some macro shots where there were differences in brightness levels, although in most close-ups, backgrounds were acceptably smooth.

      Conclusion

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      SPECS

      Picture angle: 27 degrees 2 minutes with ‘full frame’ cameras
      Minimum aperture: f/16
      Lens construction: 15 elements in 12 groups (includes 4 LD elements), BBAR-G2 and fluorine coatings
      Lens mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z
      Diaphragm Blades: 12 (rounded aperture)
      Weather resistance: Moisture-resistant with 9 rubber gaskets
      Focus drive: VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor mechanism
      Stabilisation: No, relies on IBIS in the camera
      Minimum focus: 23 cm
      Maximum magnification: 1:1
      Filter size:  67 mm
      Dimensions (Diameter x L): 79.2 x 126.5 mm (E mount); 79.2 x 128.5 mm (Z mount)
      Weight: 630 grams (E mount); 640 grams (Z mount)
      Standard Accessories:  Front and rear caps, cylindrical lens hood with sliding window for easy filter rotation
      Distributor: Blonde Robot

       

      TESTS

      Based on JPEG files taken with the lens on the Sony  α7 II camera body.

       

      Based on ARW.RAW files recorded simultaneously and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.

       

      SAMPLES


      Vignetting at f/2.8.


      Rectilinear distortion.


      Sunstar; f/16, ISO 100, 1/640 second.


      Close-up of 70 mm tall subject taken at f/2.8; ISO 100, 1/25 second. (Tripod used.)


      The same subject photographed at f/4; ISO 100, 1/13 second. (Tripod used.)


      The same subject photographed at f/5.6; ISO 100, 1/8 second. (Tripod used.)


      The same subject photographed at f/8; ISO 100, 1/3 second. (Tripod used.)


      The same subject photographed at f/11; ISO 100, 1/2 second. (Tripod used.)


      The same subject photographed at f/16; ISO 100, 1 second. (Tripod used.)


      Hand-held macro shot of Christmas bush at f/5.6; ISO 400, 1/2500 second.


      Hand-held macro shot of Christmas bush at f/10; ISO 400, 1/800 second.


      Hand-held macro shot of Christmas bush at f/16;
      ISO 400, 1/400 second.


      Old photograph copied at f/4; ISO 100, 1/5 second. (Tripod used.)


      Collectable object 38 mm long, photographed at f/16; ISO 100, 1.3 seconds. (Tripod used.)


      Collectable object 60 mm tall, photographed at f/11; ISO 100, 1.6 seconds. (Tripod used.)


      Small object 75 mm in diameter, photographed at f/4.5; ISO 100, 1/13 second.
      (Tripod used.)


      Hand-held macro shot of spider about 15 mm long; ISO 800, 1/50 second at f/8.


      Hand-held close-up of Hibbertia flower; ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/5.


      Hand-held close-up of Crucifix orchid; ISO 400, 1/500 second at f/3.5.


      Hand-held close-up of Gazania flower; ISO 400, 1/2500 second at f/7.1.


      Hand-held close-up of lichen; ISO 400, 1/400 second at f/3.5.


      Distant subject, showing the lens being used for general photography; ISO 100, 1/400 second at f/6.3.

       

      Rating

      RRP: AU$1,199

      • Build: 9.0
      • Handling: 9.0
      • Image quality: 9.0
      • Autofocusing: 8.8
      • Versatility: 8.8

       

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