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2026-06-17 Tamron SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 CF Macro BBAR MC Zoom Lens


    The Tamron SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 CF Macro BBAR MC zoom lens came to me without its Adaptall mount. I still think it was worth picking up, as I have some Adaptall lenses with their mounts, so I could still get this lens working.
It is quite a lens. The slightly divergent reviews on the internet can be summed up as—








For the lens—
  • commendable sharpness wide open, but really outstanding sharpness when it is stopped down a bit
  • the close focus macro range is really useful
  • having the slightly wider 28mm at its widest wins over the more usual 35 mm zooms of the time
  • being a two ring zoom—separate rings for zoom and focus—you can really control the focus and focal length without fear of zoom/focus creep that shows up in many one ring zooms
  • really fine metal construction
  • equally fine lettering
Against the lens—
  • depending on the mount the direction of the zoom and focus can be opposite to the original camera’s lenses
  • it is heavy
  • a tendency to have veiling from flare (strangely not from light sources coming straight in, but more from light at right angles to the lens axis hitting the front element)
  • again strangely you can’t reach the closest focus at the 28 mm end of the zoom—see below
    There is an article on the internet about setting the lens to infinity after taking the front element off for cleaning. Evidentially the infinity setting can be miss-set, with the result some lenses are reported as being not sharp. Just as a side-bar when screwing the front back in, the multiple thread starts are every 30º. A car’s spark plugs, and the Pentax and Universal screw mounts, have only one place the thread starts. Very fine threads used in zoom lenses often have multiple start points.
Now for some internet facts.
The Model 27A was the successor to the vaunted 01A, though in fact the latter continued to be produced for some time after the introduction of the 27A. 
"Optimal optical performance is F/8 to F/11 at all zoom settings, and at these apertures this lens is very sharp. Macro performance is good between F/8 and F/22, but with a moderate drop of contrast in fine details towards the edges of the film plane. This is a very versatile lens ...." - adaptall-2.com

 

Close focus to 1:3.4 at 80mm. The extended focus throw is available at most focal lengths but not 28mm. The availability point is approximately midway between 28mm and 35mm on the zoom ring.
Zoom Style Two ring
Focal Length 28-80mm
Aperture Range 3.5-32, AE SP28… 
Lens Group/Elements: 8/9
Iris blades 8
Min. Focus: 0.36 m (80mm); 
        0.9 m (28mm)
Macro         1:3.4 
                                       (1:1.7 with 01F 2x tele-convertor)
Filter Size 67mm; 
                                        bayonet fitting for custom hood.
Weight:         480g
length (min): ~ 85mm.


    Accepts SP 2X teleconverter (model 01F) and SP 1.4x TC 014F (but zooming from 80mm with the latter will result in the rear baffle hitting the TC).
    The Tamron SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 CF Macro BBAR MC zoom lens was made from 1983 to 1987.


7,8,9

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