Tamron made Kodak GEAR 80-210mm f/4.5-5.6

[kitacanon]

This lens is quite a surprise...
It is quite light through the light-weight kit type of construction, (using a lot of plastic in the construction, including the mount)
The mechanics and optics are very good...excellent if you consider that it is typically less than $50 on the market...I've seen NEW ones auctioned for less than $40...


Tamron also makes it in other mounts if you're also shooting, say Nikon...
The Tamron version uses a flat matte rubber grip on the zoom barrel, while the KodakGEAR version uses the more effective (IMHO)
ribbed rubber grip.
It comes with a useful bayonet mount lens hood that reverse locks on the lens for compact packing.

It does not have Image Stabilization, but it is an EF lens so it will fit and work on all EOS mounts, another feature...
A real benefit for the crop body is the elimination of full frame edges that might be softer than I have
experienced on my XT and 30D.

I have seen it listed as being made by Tiffen, but I don't think this is the case.

Here are the specifications:
Focal length 80 - 210mm Zoom ratio 2.6x
Digital equivalent Canon (1.6x crop) 128 - 336mm
Focus type automatic Zoom type One touch
Aperture type Automatic Aperture range F4.5/5.6-22
Lens construction 8 elements in 9 groups
Angle of view 30' - 12'
Minimum focus 4.9ft, 1.5m
Lens coating multi-coated
Macro reproduction 1:5.8
Filter size 52mm
Length 3.84in, 97.5mm
Diameter 2.8in, 71mm
Weight 9.9oz, 280g

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Full frame shot on 30D, ISO 200, 210mm at F9 (1.3 stops down from wide open)...shot RAW with unsharpen mask 200/.2/0 in Photoshop6



100% crop


100% crop


full frame 92mm@ F9


Shot on my XT here it is, heavily cropped image. ...


full frame @ ISO 1600 80mm/7.1also on the XT


These are real situation shots, not taken for testing.
Stopped down an F-stop or two, I can recommend this lens as being as good as any for under $200...

[kitacanon]

Here are some birds...@ ISO 640...full frame and 100% crops...
these were taken with the 30D shot RAW and underwent USM 100/.3/0 to 200/.2/0

132mm F10 full frame

and 100% crop


179mm F7.1 full frame

and 100% crop


Again...I'm not saying it compares to a $500 or even a $300 lens...
...but if you're looking for a cheap startup tele-zoom this is would be a good choice...

[KenjiS]

That thing looks pretty damn sharp to me!

[Brett]

Not bad at all. Looks like something you'd find at a garage sale, but the images don't lie.

[kitacanon]

Originally Posted by Brett

Not bad at all. Looks like something you'd find at a garage sale, but the images don't lie.

Pawnshop find actually...

[gabebalazs]

Wow, these images look awesome. What a find!

It's just like when I think I've known about most awesome guitarists then I find totally unknown guitar prodigies on Youtube again and again

[tkbslc]

I personally only think these look great in relation to the price. It certainly isn't any better than the new Sigma or Tamron zooms in the $150 range, which was about what it cost when new.

You can also get the same lens in a Tamron skin, but it is actually uglier.

[kitacanon]

Originally Posted by tkbslc

I personally only think these look great in relation to the price. It certainly isn't any better than the new Sigma or Tamron zooms in the $150 range, which was about what it cost when new.

You can also get the same lens in a Tamron skin, but it is actually uglier.

I agree totally...about being a deal at the price...but that's the point...it's a $150 Tamron in cheaps clothing for a lot less...well, now it's ebaying in the $75 range...oh well....and yes, the Kodak is better looking than the Tammy...part of my agenda here is to give people confidence that quality depends on how you use gear, as much as it depends on the gear itself...I like pushing MF gear, but I've learned that many who have come to us from auto-PnS cams have no MF experience and can't relate...

On a trip I'm not the guy with pro looking gear... with busted looking cheapies, a scratched up XT, the IS kit, a Kodak tele and a busted filter rim 50/2 nikkor, I'm just the snapshooter trying to keep a low profile...once in India, a bunch of Euros got into it with me...and were very surprised to find out I was a yank...

[tkbslc]

I agree, it is a great buy, but it seems like some people were getting really excited like it was a sleeper L grade or something. I don't think anyone should go out of their way to find it, but if they stumble across one (or the Tamron version) than they know it is a decent buy.

Thanks for posting the review though, it seems like a lot of perfectly good lenses get overlooked. We need more reviews for the less mainstream lenses.

[fWord]

The results are surprisingly fine for the price. Looks like decent resolving power while contrast is slightly low. But wow, you must have had a lot of light for those shots, getting away with f/10 for the heron photo. When photographing wildlife I have to struggle with a wide open aperture even at ISO 1250 and above!

[kitacanon]

Loaned out my XT/Tamron-Kodak set on auto and told him to just shoot...came back with this JPEG shot...
ISO 400, 1/200@F6.3 @ 80mm, about 1 and a half F-stops down from wide open (4.5)...
full frame no USM


100% crop with 100/.3/0 USM in PS6

[tydougherty]

where the heck can one buy this lens?? it is exactly what I am looking for but nowhere to be found...

[kitacanon]

Originally Posted by tydougherty

where the heck can one buy this lens?? it is exactly what I am looking for but nowhere to be found...

Search ebay with the words
Canon Kodak 80-210mm f4.5-5.6
or
Canon Tamron 80-210mm f4.5-5.6
or I've seen the Tamron listed as
Canon Kodak Tiffen 80-210mm f4.5-5.6 though the Tiffen label is an error...

The Tamron version is the same lens...it's just that the Kodak has a better rubber grip on the zoom barrel...

The going rate on Ebay is $40-75 delivered.


Here's a current auction as of 5/14...good luck:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-80-210mm-f...3A1%7C294%3A50

[Neilyb]

I had the Tamron version of the lens and it was poor-really poor comapred to the canon 90-300 (and that thing sucked bad!)

[hk300]

i just bought one off ebay for gbp10. ... i hope it is worth the money.