In some ways, a fast maximum aperture isn’t particularly important with a macro lens. At very close focussing distances, depth of field is very shallow anyway, and it’s more likely you’ll want to stop down to make the most of it.

There has recently been a fashion in close-up and studio/product photography, though, towards very shallow depth of field. This focusses attention (literally) on the main subject and lends an impressionistic blur to the rest of the scene. It can be very effective, and also gives a nice, informal feel to the picture.

Anyway, it’s unlikely a lens like this one would just be used for 1:1 macro photography, and for longer-range shots its one-stop aperture advantage over rival macro lenses may prove a distinct advantage. Besides, it can be used for more than just close-ups...

This is a ‘digital’ lens designed for D-SLRs with APS-C sensors, and once you’ve applied the usual focal factor its effective focal length is around 90mm. This is the perfect focal length for portraits, and this lens’s wide maximum aperture is obviously a big advantage here, too. It means you can throw confusing backgrounds out of focus, and shoot using window lighting that might otherwise be a little too dim for handheld photography. It could even be used for short-range sports/action photography, especially indoors, where the light can be poor.

Like other macro lenses, though, this one doesn’t like to be rushed. The autofocus isn’t particularly quick and relies on the AF motor in the camera body. If you’ve got a Nikon D40/x or D60, then, you’ll be stuck with manual focus only, and you might be better off choosing a macro lens from the Nikon range.

It’s the long focus travel necessary to cope with shots taken at infinity right down to 1:1 magnification which slows down the focus with this kind of lens, but much of the time you’ll focussing manually anyway to make the most of the available depth of field (autofocus systems pick a single focus point, whereas depth of field control means focussing between two points, not on one or the other).

The manual focus movement on the Tamron isn’t particularly smooth, but it is light and, thanks to the very long focus travel, very precise. The distance scale is very clearly marked, too. And apart from the focus ring and the distance scale, the only other control is the AF/MF switch on the side of the barrel. It’s a very uncomplicated lens which handles well, though it doesn’t perhaps have quite the same feeling of weight and solidity as other Tamron lenses. Interestingly, Tamron bundles a deep, circular lens hood rather than the usual petal type.

The most important thing of all, of course, is the optical quality, and it’s here that the Tamron really excels. Usually, we approach fast lenses with some misgivings because the performance at full aperture is often pretty weak. The Tamron, though, is super-sharp even at f2. Not only that, it’s sharp right across the frame. The definition increases slightly as you stop down to f2.8, then stays at more or less the same high level right down to f11. At f16 and beyond, the resolution drops sharply as diffraction effects take hold, but this applies to all lenses. Macro photography often means choosing a compromise between small apertures (for extra depth of field) and diminishing resolution.

Close examination of the test charts reveals barely detectable barrel distortion and very low levels of chromatic aberration. The Tamron isn’t optically perfect, then, but it comes pretty close. Its excellent performance at wide apertures means you can really exploit those shallow depth of field effects – the contrast between bitingly-sharp detail and blurred backgrounds can be striking.

But is it worth the extra compared to an ordinary f2.8 macro lens? You have to decide just how much that extra stop of light-gathering power will be worth to you. Remember, it has both practical as well as creative benefits, and it’s usable performance too, thanks to the Tamron’s consistently high performance right across the aperture range.

The other thing you have to consider is that this is a digital-only lens. It’s fine if you plan on staying with an APS-C format D-SLR for ever, but not such a good choice if you’re tempted by the thought of swapping over to full-frame in the future. If you are, you could be better off choosing a full-frame macro lens from your camera maker’s own range. You’ll probably have to make do with a less ambitious f2.8 lens if you do, but at least your investment will be a little more future-proof.

Putting that aside, though, this is a really good macro lens. You get an extra stop in maximum aperture which doesn’t appear to compromise its optical performance at all. On the contrary, it’s remarkably sharp even wide open, and that’s quite an achievement.

Final Verdict Not everyone will need a fast macro lens like this, but the image quality is excellent, and you shouldn’t overlook its potential as a fast portrait lens too. OVERALL

Our lens reviewer, and technical expert, Rod is a veritable photographic encyclopaedia. His illustrious CV has seen him write for many mags, websites and journals.