Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 DI VC USD

£500/$400 The Tamron strikes a good compromise in terms of size, weight and features

The two most up-market standard primes for full-frame cameras in the group, and therefore for portraiture on APS-C cameras, are the Canon and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lenses. They tip the scales at 290g and 815g respectively, with a similarly considerable difference in size. This Tamron lens takes the middle ground, weighing 540g that makes it well-balanced on typically lightweight APS-C format bodies.

The Tamron’s widest aperture is narrower, at f/1.8, but an advantage is it’s the only 45/50mm lens in the group to use stabilization. The ‘Vibration Correction’ system works well. We were able to shoot consistently sharp handheld portraits at shutter speeds of just 1/10th of a second on APS-C cameras, although this demands the sitter is able to keep still. The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is effective, with fast, quiet performance, and the usual full-time manual override.

Build quality is significantly better than in the Canon 50mm lenses and a close match to the that of the Sigma 50mm. The Tamron is the only lens of the four that features weather-seals, complete with a rubber ring around its mounting plate.

Performance

At wide apertures, the Tamron is much sharper than the Canon 50mm f/1.4 across the whole frame, and it’s also sharper than the Canon 50mm f/1.8 towards the edges and corners. Importantly for a portrait lens, defocused areas are soft and creamy, the Tamron delivering pleasing bokeh, despite only offering a widest aperture of f/1.8 rather than f/1.4.