Tamron SP 300mm f2.8 LD IF
Tamron SP 300mm f2.8 LD IF (Model 60B)
with its large lens hood and Nikon F100
My personal experiences
There
are at least three manual focusing versions: The old, discontinued, with
conventional focusing, labeled Tamron SP 300mm f2.8 LD, and the two internal
focusing versions, labeled Tamron SP 300 mm f2.8 LD IF. The LD is the Tamron
way to tell the lens has an apochromatic element for better colour correction,
although it may not be a "genuine" artificially grown fluorite element.
The two IF versions I know of are the olive green model 60B and the current
production model (as of 12/2002) 360B. All of these lenses should perform
rather well. The internal focusing is such a great advantage that it alone
would make the choise pretty easy - one of the IF versions, if possible.
The current model is black, and the non-IF has been available as white
- never seen one, but there was one for salee in the ebay.
The lens uses Adaptall-2 interchangeable mount system, which makes it very easy to fit it into almost any SLR ever produced. The two main exceptions are Minolta A mount (The AF Minoltas) and Canon EOS. The adapter is available at least for the Minolta AF, and it does not require lens elements to maintain infinity focus like the MD/AF adapters do, but they do not allow automatic diaphgram or meter coupling, as these cameras require electronics in the lens. All AF Minoltas do not accept a lens without electronics, and most require a special procedure to switch the lens check off. Only spot and center-weighted metering are available, and most cameras require exposure compensation. Not so handy. I'm not sure about the Nikon combatibility: The adapter is Nikon AI, and I have never seen an AI-S adapter, but actually I think the Tamrons are working like AI'd Nikkors, which means no matrix metering with F4 - sure someone can confirm this? In my F100 and F-801 they work like any AI lenses, but I don't know how they work with the special cameras (mainly FA, F-301/F501 and F4 with different metering and exposure modes). Mail me if you know, but remove the nospam from the address. Of course, they don't have electronics so they do not couple with the meters of those Nikons requiring a CPU in the lens, like F-401-models, F80 and D100, to name a few. With XD Minoltas they are fully compatible with their shutter priority.
I've been using the olive green IF model 60B for about a year now, and have found it a remarkable performer. My previous experience about this lens wasn't that good. The sample I tested earlier had a colder colour rendition than Minolta lenses, and it suffered heavy light falloff in the corners with the matched TC. The sample I'm using now has the same colour rendition, which can largerly be corrected by using an 1A filter in the internal filter drawer, or as a protective filter in the front thread (112mm). But gone are the dark coners with tc. I don't know which was wrong with the first sample, or was the tc the same model I'm using now. It was Tamron's own, and came between the lens and the adapter, like my present converter, too. My current TC is the one shown with SP 90mm f2.5 Macro, SP 01F. Anyway, the light falloff is now at acceptable level, and stopping down removes it easily.
If compared to other long lenses I've used I would rank this very close
to 300/2.8 ED IF Nikkor, if not quite up to. About the Rokkor lenses, it
beats the MD 300/4.5 IF but not quite the 400/5.6 APO in terms of optical
quality. It is also relatively light but still strongly build, and easy
to operate due to IF. A very good lens IMHO. I would recommend this lens
as the best choise for a manual Minolta shooter looking for a long tele
lens, because of its great speed and internal focusing, although the 400/5.6
APO Rokkor were a tad sharper. Another one to be looked for were the Tokina
300/2.8, but it is very rare in Minolta mount.
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Nikon F-801
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Nikon F-100
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This photo demonstrates the isolating power of the 300/2.8.
If shot at full aperture and relatively close distance,
the background will be completely blown away.
These two photos are taken without the warming 1A filter,
and show the bluish cast typical for Tamron lenses