| The Tamron SP AF 60mm F/2 Di II LD[IF] Macro 1:1 | | | | best image quality, typically much better than zoom |
| lens is available for purchase. What's in a name, | | | | lenses. |
| anyway? I mean what are all those letters - are they | | | | 2. Amazing Depth of Field. The plane of focus, being a |
| important? | | | | macro lens, was narrow enough, even at the smaller |
| Here's the breakdown: | | | | apertures to produce a nice blurring, or bokeh, effect. |
| - SP = High performance specifications (I know, pretty | | | | This blurring, or bokeh, tends to accentuate the focus |
| vague) | | | | on the main subject. It is highly desirable in the |
| - AF = auto focus | | | | photographic community. |
| - F/2 = the widest aperture is F/2.0 | | | | This statement by the manufacturer is significant: The |
| - Di II = made for digital SLR cameras only (can't be | | | | Tamron 60mm Macro lens is the only lens in the World |
| used on a film camera) | | | | that can boast an F/2.0 aperture at that focal length. |
| - LD = Low Dispersion glass | | | | The closest competitor has as its largest aperture F |
| - IF = Internal focusing | | | | 2.8. |
| Those letters cover a wide range of technical stuff. | | | | This lens is not just for close up photography, although |
| Are they important? Absolutely. | | | | it is very good in that category. It is a very fine portrait |
| The features available in the Tamron 60mm Macro | | | | lens, as well. Many photographers us a 50mm lens for |
| lens are what make it a fantastic lens. | | | | portraits, but this one performed admirably for taking |
| The only letters missing that would make this a better | | | | sharp portraits. |
| lens are VC and USD. Those are the indicators for | | | | Are there any negatives? |
| Vibration Compensation (anti-shake) and Ultrasonic | | | | Yes, there is one that has been brought up in most |
| Silent Drive (fast focus). But if you add those two | | | | reviews. The lens has auto focus with a manual |
| elements, you would essentially price this lens out of | | | | override. That means that you can use the camera to |
| the ballpark for its intended users. | | | | get the focus automatically, but if you feel that you |
| Intended user? It is only good for use on APC-C | | | | can tweak the focus manually to get it sharper, you |
| cameras... I know, more letters. But APS-C cameras | | | | can do that. The complaint is that the reviewing |
| are those digital SLR cameras with a modified sensor | | | | photographers had trouble with this feature, because |
| that is less than "full frame". These are cameras like | | | | the lens tended to try to revert back to auto focus. |
| the Digital Rebels in the Canon line and the D5000 and | | | | This is not an uncommon problem with macro photo |
| D90 in the Nikon line. | | | | lenses. Because you are so close to the subject, and |
| The really good part about being for APS-C cameras | | | | the plane of focus is so narrow, it is sometimes difficult |
| is that now those cameras have a really GREAT | | | | for the auto focus feature to get a tack-sharp focus. |
| macro lens available to them. | | | | With the Tamron 60mm Macro lens, the testers |
| Two things stand out about the Tamron 60mm Macro | | | | agreed that they were able to master this problem, but |
| lens. | | | | it was somewhat of a negative in their evaluation. |
| | | | All in all this is a really great lens for entry level to mid |
| 1. Super quality images. All reviewers agreed that the | | | | level digital slr cameras. It gives photographers a super |
| image quality was beyond their expectations. Just a | | | | starting place for close up photography without having |
| short aside here - prime lenses, that is those lenses | | | | to mortgage their first-born. |
| with only one focal length, tend to produce the very | | | | |