Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 XR Di LD IF Macro Lens

I don't shoot pictures of test charts, I shoot pictures of birds, flowers, and insects. As a further test of this lens, I shot some pictures of coins and a medallion. Under this "real world" testing regime, the Tamron exhibited excellent corner to corner sharpness at all apertures..

Tamron's "Di" design optimizes the lens for use on digital cameras and reduces chromatic aberration. In this case, chromatic aberration has essentially been eliminated - fringing is just not present. I couldn't be happier with this aspect of its performance. Other reviews have been quoted as saying it is one of the sharpest lenses ever tested - I could well believe that.	..
CONTRASTY With the large front element so exposed, flare is a potential problem. However, the enormous lens hood combined with the low dispersion (LD) glass elements takes care of that. All the pictures I took were not only sharp, but contrasty as well, with little or no veiling flare even under difficult conditions. Top marks.
CREAMY The lens has a seven-blade diaphragm, with a slightly rounded opening. Although some of its competitors boast nine-blade diaphragms, the Tamron has beautifully smooth out-of-focus portions of the pictures - the bokeh is one of the best I have seen.
Tamron's engineers have come up with a formula that combines the very best attributes of a fine lens. Some contrasty lenses lack resolution. Other lenses are very sharp, but have poor bokeh. The Tamron 180mm macro gets it right in all three departments, with stunning results.