This is my second Tamron macro lens and I’ll be doing the Tamron 180mm Macro review on this post.
My first one is the superb Tamron 90mm Macro lens.
I took way too many flower shots with the 90mm and wanted to experiment shooting insects. However, when I use the 90mm, the insects get easily scared, leaving me blurry pictures.
Wild Butterfly - Shot With Nikon D300s and Tamron 180mm Macro Lens
So, what’s the solution? Another lens (I know, I’m a lens freak… and my wife will be very mad because I spent way too much money on lenses…). Anyway, I ordered the lens (Nikon mount
The lens arrived promptly, but the bad news is, my wife was home when the lens arrived. So…
Back to this lens. The price was quite pricey at a street price of $700 (now you know why my wife was pissed). The expensive price make this lens overshadowed by the cheaper and more attractive Tamron 90mm.
I opened the box and was impressed with the build quality. Unlike the 90mm, this lens is much heavier and has better finish (though not by a far margin).
After playing with this lens for a bit, I found that this is exactly the lens that I’m looking for. It performs just as well as the 90mm and you’ll get TWICE the extra reach.
I can shoot small insects easily with this lens. You can go directly to my sample images to see what I shot.
The downside of this lens is the somewhat slow autofocus. It’s not a deal breaker though. I always focus manually when shooting macro, so this is not an issue for me. Also, even though Tamron already upgraded the build quality, I still think they can do better.
Oh, and one more thing. You can use this lens for portraiture as well. The background won’t be as creamy as the 90mm, but it’s still great.
All in all, comparing the cost of this lens (for me, it’s $700 and a furious wife) and the pictures that I took, I don’t regret buying this lens.
If you’re into shooting small creatures, you won’t regret buying this lens.
See my full Tamron 180mm Macro review below.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Tamron 180mm Macro Review – Specs
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Official Name:
Tamron SP AF180mm f/3.5 Di LD (IF) 1:1 Macro
Features:
SP – Better build quality compared to standard Tamron lens.
AF – Autofocus. Allows the lens to focus automatically on your subject.
Di – Specially made for Digital Sensor. You can use this lens with either full frame or cropped sensor camera.
LD – Low Dispersion Glass will reduce chromatic aberration at the telephoto end.
IF – Internal Focusing. Lens will not change dimension during autofocus. Front element will not rotate, so you can use a polarizing filter with no problems.
1:1 Macro – A “true” macro lens. The image on the sensor will be the same size as the subject being photographed.
Full Technical Specs (from Tamron’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 11 / 14 |
| Angle of View | 14° |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.47m (18.5″) |
| Filter Thread | 72mm |
| Weight | 920g (32.5oz.) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | ø84.8 x 165.7mm (3.3in x 6.5in) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1:1 |
| Available for | Canon, Nikon, Sony |
Optical Performance
Back to: Menu • Introduction
*NOTE* Test was performed using a cropped sensor DSLR.
Tamron 180mm Macro Review – Sharpness
This lens is very sharp even at wide open (f/3.5). Stop down to f/8 to get the maximum sharpness. However, avoid using f/32 because of diffraction.
Below are the test result for this Tamron 180mm Macro review.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 | f/22 |
| 180mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Great | Great |
Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 | f/22 |
| 180mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Great | Great |
Distortion
Distortion is non-existent in this lens. It’s 0. See the distortion grid test below.
Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro Distortion Test
Vignetting
Vignetting is also not an issue in this lens. It is barely visible at any aperture, except at f/3.5. Stopping down to f/5.6 or more will eliminate it. See the test chart below for more details.
Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro Vignetting Test
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration are extremely well controlled in this lens at any aperture. Even at f/3.5 the lens showed no Chromatic Aberration.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 | f/22 |
| 180mm | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
High quality plastics. Made in Japan.
Focusing
The IF feature which is missing from the 90mm is a welcome addition. Now the lens dimension will not change during autofocus. The focus ring is smooth and responsive.
Tamron also installed an FEC (Filter Effect Control) that allows you to rotate the filter thread even with lens hood attached. A very handy feature.
On the downside, the auto-focus speed is slow since the lens has no internal motor and has no focus limiter. Use manual focusing for best result. To switch between AF/MF pull the focus ring on the lens.
For Nikon user: This lens has NO built in motor. That means it will NOT autofocus when you use Nikon DSLR without internal focusing mechanism such as Nikon D40
Compatibility
You can use this lens with a full frame camera or cropped sensor camera.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample shots that I took using this lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.
Get the best price online from B&H Photo: Canon
Conclusions
Back to: Menu • Introduction
This lens is a welcome addition to my Tamron macro lens collection. Just like the 90mm macro, I had an excellent experience with this lens. Now I can shoot smaller creatures with no worry.
The optics are simply superb and its a joy to handle. The downside will be on the slow autofocus. However, I always use manual focus when shooting macro, so this is not a big issue for me.
Drawbacks
- Slow autofocus
- Build quality could be better for such a heavy lens
Positives
- Super sharp optics
- IF feature allows focusing without changing lens’ dimension
- Best value for money compared to its competitors
Good For
Shooting small creatures (fly, bees, mosquito, etc.) that are easily get scared away. The 180mm will give you enough working distance from your subject. Not too close that you scare them and not too far that you don’t fill your frame.
Not So Good For
Shooting sports or low light photography due to the slow autofocus and f/3.5 aperture.
What Others Are Saying…
by “Rakesh Malik”
This is a superb lens, with a good solid build and a smooth manual focus. Because it’s made from polycarbonate rather than metal, it’s also surprisingly lightweight….
Click here to read the full review
by “Rupert T. Yen”
This lens is amazing, I am a commercial shooter specializing in medical, and have been a pro since 1980. My philosophy is real simple, buy the best lens for the purpose, and the money is an important part of this…
Click here to read the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Tamron 180mm Macro from Amazon (best price online + FREE shipping):
If Amazon doesn’t have it in stock, try Adorama (Canon, Nikon or Sony) or B&H Photo (Canon, Nikon, Sony).
Be sure to check out these related lens reviews as well.
All in all, this is a great lens to have if you want that extra reach for your macro shots. Thanks for reading my Tamron 180mm Macro Review!
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
Tags: tamron 180mm, tamron 180mm macro, tamron 180mm macro review
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