• Categories
• Tips & Inspiration
• Reviews
• News
• Events
• Features
• Buying Guides
• Competitions

Tamron 90mm Macro for Sony and Nikon Review

Tamron has introduced several new lenses in 2024, with the most recent being the newly developed 90mm macro lens for Sony E and Nikon Z mirrorless systems. This model has a rich heritage dating back to 1979, and was released to celebrate its 45th anniversary.

In this first look at the Tamron 90mm Macro for Sony and Nikon, we explore the Sony macro lens and Nikon macro lens features for photographers who appreciate this classic focal length for close-up photography. It also works well as a short telephoto prime for portraits and distant subjects, where sharpness and clarity are essential.

So, let's dive into its key features, pricing, and release date.

When was the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III Macro VXD Lens released?

Following much anticipation, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III Macro VXD for Sony FE and Nikon Z mount (FX) was released on 26 September 2024. It succeeds several DSLR versions, the most recent of which launched in 2016, and the original SP 90mm F/2.5 film version from 1979.

But why do you need a 90mm macro and is 90mm lens good for macro? Let’s find out next.

What is a 90mm macro lens good for?

A 90mm macro lens is good for a variety of photography genres due to its versatile focal length and 1:1 magnification ratio. The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro excels in close-up photography, capturing life-sized details with sharpness and clarity, making it ideal for nature, product, and general macro photography.

The lens is also suitable for portrait photography, offering a flattering perspective with creamy background bokeh. Additionally, its reach makes it great for short telephoto work, capturing distant subjects with detail, while the fast f/2.8 aperture allows for low-light shooting and stunning subject isolation.

Photographers can also use this lens for tabletop photography, fine art reproduction, and digitising documents due to its excellent flat-field performance. On the subject of image performance, let’s explore that next.

Professional photographers will often have a macro lens in their repertoire, with a 90mm macro being ideal for weddings, commercial and product photography in particular.

How good is the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens?

With such a long heritage, Tamron benefits from decades of optical experience in designing a short telephoto macro lens of this kind. In order to meet the demands of high-resolution sensors found in cameras like the Sony A7R V and Nikon Z7 II, an exclusive optical design for mirrorless systems was introduced.

The advanced optical formula includes 15 elements in 12 groups, with four Low Dispersion (LD) elements that reduce chromatic aberrations, providing excellent colour accuracy and sharpness from edge to edge. These optical elements are essential for maintaining clarity, especially in macro photography, where fine details of close-up subjects are critical.

In addition to the optical formula, Tamron has applied its Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2 (BBAR-G2) coating. This coating reduces flare and ghosting significantly. It ensures that even in difficult lighting conditions, the lens delivers clear, high-contrast images as much as possible. This makes it versatile enough for everything from delicate flower shots to high-contrast portraits, and provides the opportunity to ad supplemental macro lighting without causing image artefacts.

This lens promises to deliver superb image quality and dependable performance, which is supported by decades of expertise and Tamron’s reputation for creating superb 90mm macro lenses.

Tamron’s first 12-blade round aperture design

Another key feature is the 12-blade circular aperture, a first for any Tamron lens. This produces beautifully soft bokeh, enhancing the aesthetic quality of your images, and is particularly noticeable when shooting wide open at f/2.8 and two stops down, as it creates smooth, out-of-focus areas that make your subject pop.

Additionally, the lens can create stunning starburst effects when stopped down to around f/16 or lower. This can create artistic sunstars in scenes with point light sources, such as cityscapes or during night-time photography.

Sample macro image of flower no EXIF data

How is the Autofocus?

The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens features Tamron’s advanced VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) technology, which offers fast and accurate autofocus performance. While macro lenses aren't typically known for speed, the VXD motor ensures that this lens tracks subjects well, even when dealing with fine details at close distances.

The lens locks focus reliably, making it suitable for not just static macro subjects but also moving ones, with a combination of speed and accuracy allowing for sharp, high-quality macro and portrait shots.

Build quality and ergonomics

The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens is designed to be practical and portable, weighing 630g for Sony and 640g for Nikon. Its robust construction benefits from weather sealing, making it dust and moisture-resistant for outdoor photography. A smooth focus ring offers precise control, which is crucial for macro work where fine adjustments are often needed.

In terms of controls, the lens is equipped with everything you need, including a focus limiter switch, allowing users to lock focus within specific distances to increase autofocus speed and reduce time spent hunting, which is particularly useful when shooting close-up.

A customisable focus set button further streamlines shooting by offering quick access to your own preferred camera settings. Paired with its 12-blade aperture for smooth bokeh and starburst effects, these controls make the macro lens for Nikon and Sony users an intuitive and pro table tool for everyday use.

Close-up sample image of a bee on flower - no EXIF data

Best accessories

When working with a macro lens, adding the right accessories can greatly enhance your shooting experience. Here are some great options:

1. Macro Lights and a reflector provide well-lit shots. A dedicated ring light or twin flash is a great tool for creating even illumination and reducing shadows, and can really enhance close-up subjects of insects or flowers for example. Models with adjustable brightness and diffusion options offer more natural results. The Kenro Macro Ring Flash For Nikon works with several mirrorless models, while the Nissin MF18 Macro Flash for Sony is ideal with E mount cameras. The Manfrotto Collapsible Reflector 50cm Sunlite/Soft Silver will bounce light back to the subject and can be used on its own or with a light. Lastly you can get creative with LED photography lighting such as the Joby Beamo Reel Colour LED Light which features adjustable colour to enhance the scene.
2. Circular Polarising Filters (CPL) help reduce reflections from shiny surfaces, like water or leaves, which can improve contrast and colour saturation in your images. This is especially beneficial for outdoor macro photography, where reflections might otherwise dampen your shots. This lens features a 67mm thread, which is commonplace and consistent with other Tamron lenses such as the Tamron 28-300mm F4-7.1 Lens reviewed recently, and most others.
3. Tripods can be really useful for macro photography, where even small movements can affect sharpness. A tripod with a flexible central column or multi-angle legs allows you to get closer to the ground and find unique angles. Look for lightweight, stable options to minimise shake, even in challenging positions, such as the Manfrotto MKBFRA4GTXP-BH Befree GT XPRO Aluminium Tripod Kit, which has been developed for pro macro photographers who travel.

Overall, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens is a very well-rounded performer, offering excellent build quality, precision optics, and portability. This makes it a great choice whether you want a macro lens for Nikon or a Sony 90mm macro for detailed scenes and stunning portraits, as well as for digitising artwork or documents, thanks to excellent flat-field performance.

Reserve your Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III Macro VXD Lens for Sony E or Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III Macro VXD Lens for Nikon Z today and discover a whole new close-up world to ignite your creativity.

Share this post:

By Nick Dautlich on 26/09/2024