Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Macro

£649/$649

A top choice for DSLRs Lens mount s Canon EF, Nikon F

Tamron’s highly popular line of 90mm macro lenses stretches back to 1979. The latest edition comes with a host of updates, including a revised and refined optical layout that features two top-grade XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) elements. The updated lens also gains weather seals and a fluorine coating on the front element.

Another notable upgrade is that Tamron has also added a ‘hybrid’ Vibration Compensation system. This corrects for x-y shift as well as the more usual angular vibration, making it more effective for close-up shooting. Performance drops from four stops to about two at fairly close range, though.

Performance

Lab scores for sharpness are good, based on our medium-range charts. However, the Tamron proved excellent at short range, down to the minimum distance for full magnification.