The postman, who always rings at least twice, brought the Tamron 90/2.8
macro this morning. The auction ended only Friday, so Boston's Bromfield
Camera Co. was really on the ball with their shipment.
The lens looks great; the glass is flawless, and it focuses to 1:1 without
accessories. Plus, it's remarkably compact and damn near weightless. I
got it to use on those traveling-light occasions when I don't want to haul
around the 65-116 auto extension tube, or the bellows, and the 80/4 and
135/4.5 Zuikos.
One disappointment: Although the filter size is 55mm, the (non-AG) nose of
the lens is too fat for the T8 or T10 ring flashes to screw in. Generally,
if I'm going to go to the bother of using flash, I'll probably almost
always be shooting with one of the Zuikos. But still, I thought it would
be nice to be able to use the flash goodies with the Tamron too.
The solution came quickly, though: A pair of stacked 55mm filters provides
just enough thin-walled threaded extension to solve the problem and allow
the ring flashes and the macro flash shoe ring for the T28 twins to fit.
So, in the next day or two I'll drop by the neighborhood camera store and
pick out a couple of over-the-hill, $2-apiece 55mm filters from the bargain
bin, break out the glass, epoxy them together, and be a happy macro
flashing camper with the Tamron, should I choose on occasion to be one, and
at macro-size expense. :-)
Anybody considering one of these lenses (or probably even the Tamron
90/2.5) might keep this in mind if you have some of the Olympus macro flash
gear you want to use.
Walt
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