issues with this lens

lucien

Senior Member
Hi I contacted Wev regarding this lens. The images I've taken aren't sharp at all. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong.


Model= TAMRON SP AF Di 90MM 1:2.8 MACRO

I have some samples I was going to send to him but I can't do it via pm

I'm going to auto focus fine tune it anyways. I have a feeling it's either front or back focusing. I've been out 4 times and 1/2 the pics are like the samples. Taking distant pics are fine but that's not the main purpose of a macro is it?
 

lucien

Senior Member
DSC_4920.jpg
 

TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
Is this the new version that's compatible with the dock? All my lenses that came with a dock, (compatible with the dock) both sigma and tamron needed fine tuning. It seems the manufacturers are sending out lenses with the expectation the end user gets it sharp with their respective dock. My Tamron 85 was better off than either the sigma 18-35 or sigma 150-600. Could be only because its a prime and the others are zooms. Fine tuning a zoom takes a considerably longer time to dial in, FWIW. Keep in mind, once tuned with the dock, its best to use it on the body it was tuned with. If another body is used, it might be best to tune and record all sets of numbers for each body and when the lens is swapped between bodies, mount the lens to the dock and change the numbers back to their respective figures for that particular body.
Also, adjustments with the dock > in body tuning. In body is a global change and as you mentioned, the lens is sharp right now at far focus but blurry at near.
 
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wev

Senior Member
Contributor
Also remember that shooting at those fstops that close, your depth of field is almost nil.
 

wev

Senior Member
Contributor
Mine is pre-dock enabled, so it is what it is. Here are a pair of pics I just took. The left hand-held at f4, the right at f22 w/ flash at 1/4 power. Cropped/resized/no adjustments

FlowerF4.jpgFlowerFlashF22.jpg

FlowerF4_2.jpgFlowerFlashF22_2.jpg
 

BF Hammer

Senior Member
I have this lens. I even did some macro work today with one of my watch collection. But one thing I can share is that I have to have the aperture out at f/16 to give enough depth of field for an entire watch dial that is sitting angled to the lens. That is what I am seeing wrong in your photos. I have no idea where the point of focus was selected to, but it looks like it found a petal or leaf behind the closest ones to focus on. Then at f/5.6 it is just not enough DOF.

sKL4CUi.jpg LT3610G.jpg

The first was f/16 and you can see in the pattern of the glass dish underneath, the DOF. I shot the 2nd photo more like f/9 and you can see the 91 in the foreground is going out of focus, and both strap bars are fully out of focus. I had this angled more square than usual also so it really shows how narrow that DOF gets at macro distance. The lens can go to f/36 and higher depending on the focal distance.

Here is an example where I intentionally shot a narrow DOF.

qwfKpYu.jpg

Last year I tried an extension tube on the lens and took it to the back yard to try photographing some wood violets. They are a pretty small wildflower growing in the grass. I think I had the f-stop out there at f/32 and took a long exposure with the camera dangling upside-down underneath the tripod.

Zz8gn4f.jpg
 

lucien

Senior Member
So you guys are saying that I should be shooting at f12 minimum to get good/sharp results. If so I'll try that when I take the lens out again. I usually keep the focus point in the middle, unless I'm doing bif or something. Then I choose group. I shoot the lens hand held and no flash.

Thanks for the tips/advice. I'll try some and report back. Hopefully with good news.
 

lucien

Senior Member
You say the lens is not sharp, but it looks pretty sharp on that left leaf. I actually think the focal point must have been about the point where the 3 foreground leaves come together, which is far enough behind the frontmost leaf to cause DOF problems at macro distance at f/5.6

Hammer, your correct because that looks like where the middle of the frame would be ie centre point focus
 
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