A "normal" prime with some fierce competition..
I recently bought the Tamron 45mm prime lens to replace my trusty Nikon 50mm 1.8 G. Having used that lens, as well as the Sigma Art, (and indeed some Canon 50mm lenses in a past life) I was curious to see how the Tamron would stack up.
At around 600 bucks, it is quite a lot more expensive than the Nikon/Canon 50mm 1.8 lenses, and not far shy of the Sigma 50mm Art, a modern classic in its own right. So have Tamron priced this lens correctly? Despite the good reviews, it certainly doesn't seem like a very popular lens.
First impressions
The lens is very similar in appearance to the Sigma Art range of lenses, though at 544 grams, (19.2 oz) it is lighter than it looks. This is especially impressive considering the lens features Tamrons "Vibration Compensation" technology. The lens hood is very wonderfully chunky, and the buttons are sturdy. Video shooters will also be glad that the focus ring is large and smooth, with very even resistance.
Image Quality
Let's get straight to the point. This lens is sharp. Very, very sharp indeed. It blows the Canon and Nikon 50mm 1.8 lenses out of the water in terms of image quality. I've read conflicting reports about these new Tamron lenses (there is also a 35mm) being sharper than the Sigma Art lenses, and visa-versa. While I didn't do any scientific side-by-side tests, I have used both the Sigma 35mm and 50mm Art lenses, and I would say the Tamron is almost as sharp at 1.8, but the Sigmas have the edge in sharpness. Keeping things in perspective though, the Tamron 45mm lens is one of the sharpest lenses going, and any complaints about sharpness are more likely down to user error. Stop down to 2.5 and this lens is as mind-fuckingly sharp as any Sigma or Zeiss. Give or take.
Vignetting is reasonably well controlled, and there is some chromatic aberration (fringing) around f1.8, as is normal for wide aperture lenses at this focal range. Contrast and flare resistance are excellent. There is some subtle "onion-ringing" in the bokeh under certain circumstances, but it's nothing something that has ever bothered me.
So what's the catch?
Coming in cheaper than the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art, and featuring Tamrons excellent stablization tech, this lens does indeed tick a lot of boxes. It is however, not without its flaws. Somewhat paradoxically, the lens suffers from focus hunting in the very situation the lens was designed to excel: low light. The focus is slow enough in any light, but when things get a bit darker, like a badly lit room or venue, the combination of slow focus, and hunting, will be a deal breaker for anyone hoping to catch moments in such situations. Even in good light, this lens is not up to the task of catching moments. Event shooters should only consider this lens for posed shots or video.
Speaking of video..
The Tamron does have a trick up it's sleeve. The aforementioned "Vibration Compensation" is nothing short of excellent, both for stills and video. I was able to get some very useable handheld video clips with the VC enabled, and when combined with my shoulder rig, footage was buttery smooth.
Do I recommend this lens? Yes and no - It depends on your needs..
As much as I want to love this lens, the slow AF and low light hunting are a bit disappointing when shooting stills. It would be a mistake to assume this lens to be the "low light monster" that it looks like on paper. Stills shooters would be better served by the Sigma 50mm Art. It has similarly stellar image quality, but AF is faster and more reliable, even in low light.
At the same time, I'm glad to own this lens, and I would indeed recommend it to other hybrid shooters. The stabilization really is second to none. This lens may not be a low light monster for stills, but for video, it's a handheld beast!
Words & images by me, @condra. All photos taken with the Tamron 45mm Di VC USD, except the product shot, courtesy of www.tamron-usa.com/ This is an update to an older article by me