Alex Cearns – 90mm F/2.8 MACRO Review
The new Tamron 90mm F/2.8 Di III MACRO VXD macro lens is an absolute dream. I felt that it was the one piece of equipment missing from my Sony mirrorless arsenal, and I was thrilled to learn of its release. I recently put it to the test on wildlife, dogs and insects while on tour in Laos and its performance was exceptional.
Alex Cearns is a renowned professional photographer who specialises in capturing stunning animal portraits that convey the personality of her subjects. Through her business Houndstooth Studio she has photographed more than 15,000 beloved pets mostly dogs. Alex has won over 350 awards for her photography, philanthropy, and business.
She is an advocate and voice for animal rescue and conservation and has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the community through photography. Alex is a published author of eight books, an accomplished public speaker and a brand ambassador for Tamron, BenQ, Profoto, Studio Ninja, Ilford Imaging, SanDisk (mentor) and Spider Camera Holster. She launched Black Cat Consulting in 2018 to help fellow photographers and small business owners achieve their business goals.
The lens focuses quickly with an aperture of F/2.8 which is often my preferred depth of field when using an F/2.8mm lens. I can achieve nice bokeh in the background while maintaining sharp focus on my subject, particularly the eyes. I’ve found that with lenses having an f-stop less than f/2.8, the focus plane can be too shallow, often hitting the eyelashes rather than the eyes themselves.
This lens can also function as a 90mm portrait lens and this pushed me to capture images I would typically overlook, such as details of village life and portraits of people. As a portrait lens, it performed superbly; the F/2.8 aperture paired with my Sony camera body allowed for fast and razor-sharp focusing.
Having a lens that excels in macro photography while also functioning effectively for portrait work provided me with a versatility that I truly appreciated during my trip. Keen to really put it through its paces, I used the 90mm lens for about 70% of my Laos images, reserving the remaining 30% for my 150-500mm Tamron portrait lens which I used to primarily photograph rescue bears in captivity.
When travelling, minimising gear weight is essential, and taking just these two lenses gave me an effective solution. They enabled me to capture three types of images – super zoomed, macro and portrait shots.
This lens even enabled me to photograph a captive but wild moon bear within inches (though a fence, but still very close for comfort) and capture macro images of his face and nose. Possibly a world first photographing a bear of any kind using a macro lens?
Here are my top 6 features of the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Macro lens designed for Sony E-mount cameras:
- High Magnification Ratio: This lens offers a 1:1 magnification ratio, allowing photographers to capture incredibly detailed macro images of subjects as small as 0.23m from the lens.
- VXD Autofocus System: The advanced VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torquer Drive) autofocus motor ensures fast and precise focusing. This feature is particularly useful for macro photography, where accurate focus is critical when shooting at close distances.
- Exceptional Optical Performance: The lens incorporates special low dispersion and aspherical elements, which help minimise chromatic aberration and enhance sharpness.
- Flexible Shooting Options: The lens includes a focus control switch, allowing photographers to quickly toggle between AF and manual focus modes. This flexibility is essential for macro work, where precise manual adjustments can improve composition.
- Moisture-Resistant Construction: Designed for durability, the lens features weather-sealed construction, making it resistant to moisture and dust. This allows photographers to use it in challenging outdoor conditions.
- Compact and Lightweight Design: Weighing only 600g, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 is relatively light for a macro lens.
The Tamron 90mm e-mount lens will solve your macro lens challenges if you’re using a Tamron-Sony combo and I cannot wait for others to discover its incredible capabilities. I give it a 10 out of 10!
