Data sheet: Tamron SP 90 mm f/2.5 (adaptall)

Pekka Buttler, 10/2025

Specifications

The table below summarises the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample with Contax/Yashica adapter):

Brand:	Tamron	Lens name	SP 90mm 1:2.5
Focal length(s) 1	90 mm	Angle-of-view 2	27°
Maximum Aperture	f/2.5	In Production	1984–90 (this version) 1979-2002 (manual focus variants)
Lens mounts (native)	Tamron Adaptall	Other lens mounts	See article on Adaptall
Length 3	78,7 mm	Diameter 4	66,7 mm
Filter ring diameter	55 mm	Weight	472 grams
Lens element count	8	Lens group count	6
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 5	9 S	Focus throw	315 °
Minimum focusing distance (measured)	39,1 cms	Maximum magnification (measured)	1:2
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Automatic	Aperture click stops (on preset ring) 6	2.5•4•5.6•8•11•16-22-32

Further notes:
• This lens is among the first lenses launched for Tamron’s SP (super performance) line of lenses in 1979 and it is a veritable Tamron all-star, with numerous versions having been produced during the almost half-century (see versions).
• Early versions (until 1996) were designed as 1:2 magnification macro lenses that could be boosted to 1:1 macro capabilities either by using a specialist extension tube (which you could buy at the time of sale) or by using a 2x teleconverter. Since 1996 all versions of the Tamron 90 mm macro are designed to reach a 1:1 maximum magnification.
• This lens derives its close focusing abilities from changing the relative positions of the lens’ various lens elements, meaning that it technically is an internally focusing lens. As a side-effect of the internal focussing, the lens does have considerable focus breathing (meaning that it’s field of view narrows when focusing closer). In the case of the Tamron 90/2.5 macro, the effective field of view at MFD has narrowed from 27 ° to 12,6 °.

Versions

Tamron has manufactured a 90 mm focal length macro lens since 1979 without interruptions. During that time there have been many changes and different versions, and the table below tries to summarise the lens’ development.

Name	Model code	Introduced	Maximum aperture	AF/MF	Optical design	MFD	Max. magnification	Mount(s)	notes
TAMRON SP TELE MACRO BBAR	52B	1979	f/2.5	MF	8e/6g	0,39 m	1:2	Adaptall-2	metal focus ring
TAMRON SP	52BB	1984	f/2.5	MF	8e/6g	0,39 m	1:2	Adaptall-2	rubber focus ring [this lens]
TAMRON SP AF	52E	1990	f/2.5	AF	8e/6g	0,39 m	1:2	Minolta A, Nikon F, Pentax K
TAMRON SP AF	152E	1994	f/2.5	AF	8e/6g	0,39 m	1:2	Minolta A, Nikon F
TAMRON SP MACRO	72B	1996	f/2.8	MF	10e/9g	0,29 m	1:1	Adaptall-2
TAMRON SP AF MACRO	72E	1996	f/2.8	AF	10e/9g	0,29 m	1:1	Canon EF, Minolta A, Nikon F, Pentax K
TAMRON SP AF	172E	2000	f/2.8	AF	10e/9g	0,29 m	1:1	Canon EF, Minolta A, Nikon F, Pentax K
TAMRON SP AF Di MACRO	272E	2004	f/2.8	AF	10e/9g	0,29 m	1:1	Canon EF, Minolta A, Nikon F, Pentax K
TAMRON SP AF Di MACRO	272EN	2008	f/2.8	AF	10e/9g	0,29 m	1:1	Nikon F	Same as above, but with internal focus motor
TAMRON SP Di VC USD	F004	2012	f/2.8	AF	14e/11g	0,30 m	1:1	Canon EF, Minolta A, Nikon F	Internal Ultrasonic Silent drive focus
TAMRON SP Di VC USD	F017	2016	f/2.8	AF	14e/11g	0,30 m	1:1	Canon EF, Minolta A, Nikon F	Modernised housing
TAMRON Di III VXD MACRO	F072	2024	f/2.8	AF	15e/12g	0,23 m	1:1	Sony E, Nikon Z

Adapting

Given that this lens uses an intermediate mount, there are several ways to go, depending on what your intention is

If you intend to adapt your Tamron Adaptall lens to a dSLR…

There are original Tamron Adaptall adapters to both Pentax K and Nikon F (Ai) available. These adapters allow you to use the tamron Adaptall lens as if it was a native (manual focus) lens (including aperture and aperture priority exposure automation). There are also modern adapters available from several adapter manufacturers, but – in general – these adapters are dumb adapters and do not allow aperture control.

If your dSLR is a Canon EF or Sony/Minolta A and Four thirds camera, you can get an aftermarket dumb adapter, but will have to manually control aperture.

To film SLRs?
You’re in luck, because there used to be Adaptall/Adaptall-2 adapters made for pretty much every mainstream SLR system available before the mid-70s, (including at least⁷: Canon FD*, Contax/Yashica*, Fujica X†, Konica AR*, M42 (several variants⁸), Mamiya Z°, Minolta SR*, Miranda°, Nikon F° (Pre-Ai and Ai), Olympus OM*, Pentax K (K° and A† versions), Praktica B†, Rollei QBM° and Topcon RE° (Exakta). What you need to do is head to your favourite online classifieds platform and procure an adapter (adapters for dSLR mounts are still available new).

Notes:
* Available both as Adaptall 1 and 2 (with different features)
° Available only as Adaptall 1
† Available only as Adaptall 2

To Mirrorless
If you already have a number of adapters from the typical SLR mounts to your mirrorless camera (e.g. Canon FD / M42 / Nikon F / Olympus OM / Pentax K …) your best choice is to either:

• get an original Tamron adapter from Adaptall to whatever your most favoured SLR era lens mount is or
• get a modern Tamron adapter to mirrorless adapter from one of the contemporary adapter manufacturers (K&F Concept seems to offer dumb adapters for Adaptall to most mirrorless mounts)

Of these, the earlier option is likely to be cheaper and the later less finicky.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
6. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎
7. This list will only contain adapters that we at JAPB have witnessed.  ↩︎
8. There were both adaptall adapters to vanilla M42 mounts as well as some of the M42 variants (such as Fujica M42, Mamiya M42, Praktica electronic M42). For details, see the JAPB article on the m42 mount.
   
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