Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD Review

Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD Handling and Features

It has 13 elements in 9 groups, including LD (Low dispersion) and XLD (Extra-low dispersion) glass and a Fluorine coating on the front surface to repel dirt and grease. Reflections are suppressed using eBAND and BBAR coatings. eBAND is a nano crystal coating and BBAR is Tamron's version of multi-coating. The lens focuses to 0.8m (31.5”), has a maximum magnification of 1:7.2, takes 67mm filters and weighs in at a reasonable 700g.  It is an AF lens and also has Vibration Control (VC) to reduce the possibility of camera shake. Two switches on the lens barrel control AF/MF and VC on/off. There is a solid plastic bayonet fit lens hood provided and this clicks firmly but easily into place.

Focusing is snappy and the viewfinder image reassuringly crisp. The point of focus is very precise, as we would expect from an f/1.8 lens. As there is no aperture ring on the lens there is no depth of field scale either. Manual focusing is via a wide rubber ring at the front of the lens and despite its short throw the point of focus can be easily found. The direction of focus was correct for the Canon EOS 6D camera used for this review.

The VC system takes about one second to click in, which does mean it is best switched off for action subjects. It is also best to switch it off when using the camera on a tripod as the VC system may try to hunt for vibration that does not exist. It is, however, excellent for more static subjects.

Moisture resistant seals are included in the lens construction, a feature that is really useful as we can now continue shooting images regardless of the weather conditions.

Although the lens is quite chunky, it balances well on the Canon 6D used for this review, making a very ergonomic package. The operation of all controls is smooth and reliable. The AF is very slick, virtually silent and locking on positively every time. There is no hesitation or hunting.

Applications will cover many different areas of photography, from portraits to landscapes, sports, reportage (street photography) and anything else needing a short telephoto lens.

Add your message