Dustin has completed our review of the Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 DI VC USD lens. This lens was launched alongside the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 DI VC USD, which we reviewed a few weeks ago.
Why did Tamron make a 35mm & 45mm prime at the same time?
Yeah, I scratched my head, too. I posed the question to Tamron, and got the reasonable response that these two lenses were the opening salvo of more Tamron SP primes and there was a certain amount of shared R&D costs between these two first lenses. They share the same front element sizes (67mm), and perhaps the move towards 50mm might have exceeded the shared design for the two lenses. I would have preferred 55mm to 45mm, myself, but that's not what we got. Some readers have already expressed additional interest because of the 45mm focal length – so it all comes down to your own preferences. Tamron (probably wisely) elected to develop an excellent 45mm lens rather than a less excellent 50mm lens. The reality is that it doesn't behave much differently in practice to any 50mm lens….
Read the full review | Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD $599: Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon