Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Elements/groups: 10/8 Diaphragm: 9 blades Optical stabilizer: Yes Focus type: Ultrasonic (ring-type) Min focus distance: 0.29m Max reproduction ratio: 0.29x Filter size: 67mm Accessories inc: Hood Size: 80x92mm weight: 540g Price: £550/$400

Slightly smaller than the Sigma, the Tamron is 92mm long instead of 100mm, and still weighs nearly twice as much as the Nikon lens. That’s despite having a slightly shorter focal length and slower f/1.8 aperture rating. It’s well built and includes weather-seals.

For environmental portraits, where you’ll usually want to avoid surrounding objects being too blurry, an aperture rating of f/1.8 is more than fast enough. The Tamron’s slightly wider viewing angle, compared with a 50mm lens, can also be useful.

To keep the ‘environment’ sharp in environmental portraits, you might need a narrow aperture of f/8 or more, for a larger depth of field. At correspondingly slower shutter speeds, the Tamron’s stabilizer effectively combats camera-shake in handheld shooting.

The Tamron can’t quite match the Sigma in terms of outright optical sharpness. But for low-light handheld shooting, its image stabilizer helps get sharp shots more consistently. Colour fringing is very well controlled and there’s only a touch of barrel distortion.

£550 might seem steep for a 45mm f/1.8 lens, but the Tamron’s quality and stabilization make it well worth the asking price. At $400 in the USA, it’s unbeatable value, being cheaper than the Nikon and less than half the price of the Sigma.