# Anyone familiar with a Tamron 90-300mm lens



## PatrickHMS (Feb 12, 2010)

I just came across a Tamron (Nikon mount) Tele-Macro AF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.

Already searched for information out on the internet, then here in TPF, where I found a couple OLD results where someone had one in their gear, but nothing about the price or currant value or performance or anything like that.

Seems like a really interesting focal length, especially for outdoors and shooting nature, and at first look it appears to be pretty decently built, with a metal mounting.  Also seems to have the 5 contacts (4 together, then one just a little separate) for a digital lens.  Has a pretty low serial # 00217##).  58mm front filter size.

Tried it on my D80 and it seems to be pretty sharp, nothing like the Nikon 70-300mm I had awhile back.

Does anyone have one of these, or know anything about them?

Any kind of information would definitely be appreciated....

THANKS!


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## Derrel (Feb 12, 2010)

Funny you should mention that. Last month I was watching a Tamron 90-300mm f/3.8~somethingor other zoom lens in Tamron Adaptall Mount. It was a manual focusing zoom, probably from the late 1970's to early to mid 1980's, back when the Tamnron Adaptall and Adaptall-II mounts were kind of all the rage. The 90-300 at auction was carrying a Contax manual focus Adaptall-II mount, and sold I think for $52. Somehow, I think that's about all  a 90-300 Tamron would be worth at auction.

For newer people, these lenses had a user-interchangeable mount that simply un-twisted and came off, and a different mount could be lined up, twisted, and it would click into place, allowing you to shoot the same lens on different brands of manual focus 35mm systems. It wasn't that hard to do...it was almost like a very thin extension ring....just a nice,simple, machined rear lens mount.

For bargain hunters, there are four of these Tamron Adaptall-II lenses of some current worth and current usefulness: their 90mm macro, their 180mm SP series f/2.5, their 300/2.8 SP, and their 400mm f/4 SP series. SP was their Superior Performance line.


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## PatrickHMS (Feb 12, 2010)

Derrel said:


> Funny you should mention that. Last month I was watching a Tamron 90-300mm f/3.8~somethingor other zoom lens in Tamron Adaptall Mount. It was a manual focusing zoom, probably from the late 1970's to early to mid 1980's, back when the Tamnron Adaptall and Adaptall-II mounts were kind of all the rage. The 90-300 at auction was carrying a Contax manual focus Adaptall-II mount, and sold I think for $52. Somehow, I think that's about all a 90-300 Tamron would be worth at auction.
> 
> For newer people, these lenses had a user-interchangeable mount that simply un-twisted and came off, and a different mount could be lined up, twisted, and it would click into place, allowing you to shoot the same lens on different brands of manual focus 35mm systems. It wasn't that hard to do...it was almost like a very thin extension ring....just a nice,simple, machined rear lens mount.
> 
> For bargain hunters, there are four of these Tamron Adaptall-II lenses of some current worth and current usefulness: their 90mm macro, their 180mm SP series f/2.5, their 300/2.8 SP, and their 400mm f/4 SP series. SP was their Superior Performance line.


 
Derrell, how old can this lens be with contacts for a DSLR? All I know is that is is marked as Macro, although no switching or anything, the AF is a little slow, searches unless I use a smaller AF area in D80 camera setting, but looks like a pretty decent (and inexpensive) lens for birds and wildlife like deer and stuff when I go to Cade's Cove. Definitely better reach than my 55-200mm.

It looks like a late-model version of a Tamron standard Nikon mount, metal mounting with contacts for a DSLR. Don't see any signs of adapter or anything like that, but I don't think you thought this was one of those lenses anyhow.

BTW - there's 4 inches of powdery snow (not ice) on the ground here where we are near Stone Mountain, east of Atlanta.

I paid $100.0 for this lens PLUS a Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 PLUS a N5005 body that I have already sold the 50mm 1.8 lens for $100.00 and N5005 body for $20.00, so this 90-300mm lens is essentially free to me, and I don't really care what the value is.

This Tamron lens is definitely better IQ than the Nikon AF 70-300mm lens I had a couple of months ago.


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## Derrel (Feb 12, 2010)

Yes, it's a new lens, seen here Tamron AF Tele-Macro 90-300 Zoom - PentaxForums.com

Those cosmetics are the "new" Tamron cosmetics of a bygone era (joking!), with the rounded grooves....the later 2000's era Tamrons have the sharp, gun-stock type of square checking on the rubber. My recollection is that the rounded-groove Tamron lenses came out in the early 1990's. No, I figured it was probably a newer AF lens, since the "old" Adaptall II had the faster max aperture, which is almost indicative of decades in the camera biz. In the 1980's, many of the better consumer zooms nudged into the f/3.8 zone, just to make them look a little bit more desirable than an f/4 lens....lenses with an f/3.8 maximum aperture, like 70-210 f/3.8 sort of say "old-school", like the Chevy 396, 427, and 454....those specifications sort of indicate a decade or manufacture, or a range....everything now is in liters displacement. The associated kit that came with it is a potential tip-of to its age, but not a certainty, but it was with a 5005, so that tells us it's gonna' be an AF lens.

I am frankly not surprised that it's better than a 70-300 Nikon, especially if it's a G-series 70-300. I have a 70-300 G I bought as a refurb for $99 7,8 years ago. I use it as a soft-focus lens with a Cokin diffuser added. It's not very good above 200mm--loads of purple CA, just loads of it. Tamron has always made some very good zooms. Good deal on turning it around and getting a C-note out of it--score!

Four inches of powdery snow in Atlanta in mid-February??? Wow, consider yourself lucky not to be in D.C.! They are buried in snow!


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