Luis Gracia's List: Macro lenses

• Pros: 

   
  • exquisite quality of image 
  • good correction of chromatic aberration 
  • zero distortion 
  • small coma 
  • slight vignetting 
  • good work against bright light 
  • high quality of build and casing 
    Cons: 
   
  • average work of autofocus and accuracy 
• Tokina has a slight advantage when it comes to the quality of image with maximum aperture and when working against bright light. Tamron, on the other hand, is characteristic of better autofocus work

• AT-X Pro series we obtain a very solid casing with a metal bayonet of very good build quality
• The switch of the ring from AF to MF is so sudden that it spoils the focusing value set in AF and the whole work goes to drain
• switch of the range of the focusing FULL/LIMIT

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• Tokina 2.8/100 did not break the record of Tamron 2.8/90, but in fact, was very close to it,
• Tokina 2.8/100 did not break the record of Tamron 2.8/90,

• Tokina very well works against bright sun.

• chromatic aberration. For the whole range of stops it stays in the vicinity of 0.06% level, which we consider to be small.

• In this category Tokina is very similar to Sigma 2.8/105 and Tamron 2.8/90, which noted maximum vignetting reaching 16%.

• The accuracy of work of the focusing mechanism is not the best either.

• auto focus works very well on this lens.
• At infinity focus you get the   specified apertures of f/2.8 to f/32, but at 1:1 you end up with   f/5.6 to f/64. This is what all macro lenses do

• this one is heavy,   and at 19 oz.
• ore solid than the   typical consumer models

• Minor flaws are higher-than-average CAs and a quite slow AF speed. All-in-all the Tokina seems to offer the best bang for your bucks in this arena - highly recommended!

• the Tokina didn't capture as much fine detail as we were hoping, even when stopped down from f/5.6 to f/11. We also often had to dial in a third of a stop under-exposure to avoid blown highlights and washed-out colour
• the Tokina is a solid lens at the price, but it's not the best.

• the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens extends significantly during focusing - as much as 50% or 2" (25.4mm)
• Like the Sigma 105mm Macro, the Tamron 90 utilizes a focus ring push/pull motion to engage/disengage the AF clutc
• Speed is slow but very usable. Accuracy is good even in AI Servo mode. Sound is an audible buzz.
• the Tamron performs better than the Sigma 105
• Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens. In fact, it is probably best-known for being sharp
• Flare is reasonably well controlled - much better than the Sigma but slightly behind the Canon.
• has decent bokeh
• This comparison shows the Tamron to easily beat the Sigma but trail the Canon in handling this scene.
• That is a unique-sized 55mm filter thread you are looking at on the Tamron lens. The front element does not rotate. 
   

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• lose nothing but VR and AFS
• Sigma 105 is also a good macro lens but doesn't have such a pleasing bokeh

• Pros: 

   
  • great quality of image, both in the centre and at the edges of the frame 
  • insignificant distortion 
  • small coma 
  • small astigmatism 
  • slight vignetting 
  • accurate autofocus 
  • after slight stopping down chromatic aberration is not bothering 
  • solid and tasteful casing 
    Cons: 
   
  • „softness” of image for the f/2.8 
  • slight susceptibility to flare while working against bright light 
  • loud autofocus and quite slow in the full range mode 

• excellent optical performance and sharpness even when shooting wide-open, although sharpness drops off noticeably at the f/32 end of the scale.
• Focusing is a little slow and noisy and, while the front element doesn't rotate, the inner barrel extends so far at the closest focus setting it practically doubles the length of the lens

• Good impression also makes a wide and corrugated manual focusing ring. Unfortunately, it must be relatively strongly pulled,to switch from the AF mode to the MF mode or another way round. And this often results in a change of focal point.
• the front element moves out so much that the lens grows in dimension almost two times!

• sharpness of images of Tamron, with one word: perfection

• Unfortunately, this time it was not nice. We observed colour fringing. It may not be of high intensity, but on the other hand, it is difficult not to notice it.

• Autofocus of the tested Tamron works quite loudly giving out a characteristic purring
• it handles very well with accuracy.

• implementation of the Dual-Focus mechanism isn't really perfect.