Tamron's New Glass: SP 85mm f/1.8, SP 90mm Macro

Tamron just pulled back the curtain on two more lenses in its recently revamped SP series: an 85mm f/1.8 and a 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

Both of these full frame lenses will be initially available in Canon and Nikon mounts with a Sony FE mount due later in the year.

The Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 MACRO (Model F017) features improved Vibration Control with new XY-Shift compensation, delivering up to 3.5 stops of stabilization per CIPA standards.

The lens’ Ultra Sonic Drive (USD) control software has been improved to increase AF focusing speed. The lens is dust and moisture resistant and has fluorine coating on the front element to repel moisture and dirt and make the front glass easier to clean.

The SP 90mm features a nine blade aperture, a focus limiter and a minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches. A full time manual focus override feature lets you dial in manual focus adjustments after autofocusing. It accepts 62mm filters and stops down to f/32.

The SP 90mm will ship this month for $649.

The SP 85mm F/1.8 Di VC USD (Model F016) also incorporates image stabilization good for 3.5 stops per CIPA.

It has a weather proof build and Flourine coating on the front element. Tamron’s eBAND and BBAR coatings are used on the interior elements to reduce flare and ghosting.

Like the 90mm Macro, the USD software has been tweaked to improve AF speed and responsiveness. You’ll also enjoy full time manual focus override. It has a nine blade aperture diaphragm and stops down to f/16. Look for the SP 85mm starting in April. Pricing has not been announced.

Alongside the new lenses, Tamron also announced a new accessory that will allow its lens owners to update their firmware and make adjustments to lens settings. The TAP-in Console (Model TAP-01) lets users make focus adjustments, customize the focus distance limiter by setting the near and far limits (if the lens has a focus limiter feature) and customize the manual focus override function by turning it on or off and adjusting the sensitivity of the focus ring. Vibration Control is also customizable: you can set it to prioritize viewfinder image stabilization, the stabilization of the captured image or set it back to its default mode.

Both the new 85mm and 90mm lenses announced above are compatible with the new Console. The earlier SP 35mm and SP 45mm lenses are compatible, but will require a factory firmware upgrade from a Tamron service facility first.

The TAP-in Console will ship in March. Pricing wasn’t announced.