Tamron has announced two new prime lenses as part of its premium lens line. Like the first two lenses in this series, theSP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD and SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD, which were released together last September, the new pair of lenses are very close together in focal length—85mm and 90mm—but serve different functions, with the 85mm featuring a wide aperture for portraiture and the 90mm focusing close to capture macro images.
The SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD features a wide aperture and a classic short telephoto lens, two aspects sought after by portrait photographers. Unlike most lenses of this type, Tamron's take on the 85mm includes optical image stabilization, which helps photographers capture sharper images in difficult light and is also a boon for handheld videography. It's not the first 85mm f/1.8 to feature stabilization—the Zeiss Batis 85/1.8 has it as well—but the Batis is for the Sony mirrorless system, not for traditional SLRs.
The 85mm lens includes Low Dispersion and Extra Low Dispersion glass elements, which help it capture images that are both crisp and minimize unwanted color fringing effects. The front element is protected by a Fluorine Coating, which repels water droplets so you don't have to clean your lens as frequently when shooting in inclement weather.
The minimum focus distance is 31.5 inches, measured from the front element rather than the image sensor, which gives the 85mm a rather unimpressive 1:7.2 magnification ratio at its closest focus distance. It measures 3.6 by 3.3 inches (HD), supports 67mm front filters, and weighs 1.5 pounds. Tamron will offer the lens for Canon, Nikon, and Sony SLRs. Canon and Nikon mounts are shipping in April, with the Sony mount to come to market at a later date. Pricing is not yet set.
If you prefer the versatility that a close-focusing macro lens delivers, you'll be more interested in the SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro. It doesn't capture as much light as the 85mm f/1.8 when shot wide open, but you'll still be able to blur the background behind your subject when shooting at f/2.8. Its stabilization system is a bit more robust than the average lens, adding an accelerometer that stabilizes it along the x-y plane in addition to the standard pitch and yaw correction.
Like the 85mm, the 90mm Macro features Fluorine coating on its front element. Its switches and lens mount have seals to protect against dust and moisture, making it an all-weather solution when paired with a camera that's also sealed. The minimum working distance from the front element is 11.8 inches, so you do have some distance between camera and subject when shooting at 1:1 magnification. It's a bit longer than the 85mm—the 90mm measures 4.6 by 3.1 inches, supports 62mm front filters, and weighs 1.3 pounds.
The lens is set to ship this month in Canon and Nikon mounts. A Sony version will ship at a later date. It's priced at a very reasonable $649.
In addition to the lenses, Tamron is bringing what it's calling the TAP-in Console to market. It's similar in concept and function to the Sigma USB Dock in that it allows photographers to connect lenses to a PC or Mac to adjust focus calibration, customize focus limiter settings and stabilization behavior, and more. It's compatible with the new 85mm and 90mm lenses, as well as the SP 35mm and 45mm. But you'll need to send the 35mm and 45mm in for a factory firmware update in order to get them working with the dock.
The TAP-in Console doesn't have a price yet, but it will ship in March.
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