Large-aperture telephoto lens TAMRON SP180mm 63B

A review and photo examples using the Tamron 63B SP 180mm LD [IF] with the SIGMA SD9

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Table of contents

Gallery

写真作例の撮影は以下のカメラを使用した。

• SONY α900
• LEICA M-P typ240
• FUJIFILM Finepix S3Pro
• SIGMA SD9

Review

1．Overview

The Tamron 63B SP 180mm F2.5 is a manual-focus telephoto lens with a focal length of 180mm that uses the Tamron Adaptall 2 mount. Released in 1992, it features an aperture of F2.5, a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m, and internal focus (the lens does not extend or retract). The lens hood is a metal bayonet hood and is model number 73FH.

This lens uses Tamron’s proprietary Adaptall 2 mount, which allows it to be used with SLR lenses from various manufacturers by replacing the mount.

If you obtain an Adaptall 2 lens in a major mount such as Canon EF or Nikon F, you can easily use it with the latest mirrorless cameras by using a mount adapter.

2．Usability

The Tamron 63B SP 180mm f/2.5 is a prime telephoto lens released late in the Adaptall 2 series.

As a lens celebrating Tamron’s 35th anniversary, it’s well-built, with a metal barrel and a hefty f/2.5 aperture, weighing in at a hefty 856g. The wide focus ring provides a good focusing feel, and even subtle manual focusing is possible.

The image quality is acceptable for a 20-megapixel 35mm full-frame sensor, with a slight rugby-ball-shaped effect in the corners, but it produces beautiful bokeh. As for chromatic aberration, purple fringing can be noticeable in backlit situations.

With the deep, genuine 73FH hood attached, there’s virtually no noticeable flare or ghosting in backlit situations.

The hood can be attached in reverse and fits easily into the camera bag, so it’s recommended to keep it attached at all times and use it with the hood in the upright position when shooting.

When used with an APS-C sensor, the center of the lens is used, resulting in fewer image distortions than with a 35mm full-frame sensor camera. The same applies to chromatic aberration and the use of a hood as above.

The 180mm focal length frames a scene quite dramatically, so using the same working distance can result in a monotonous image. Therefore, it’s necessary to take advantage of the minimum focusing distance of 1.2m and use your feet to adjust the distance from the subject.

When used with the 35mm full-frame (full-frame) sensors of the SONY α900 or LEICA M-P typ240, the focal length is 180m. The FUJIFILM Finepix S3Pro has a sensor magnification of 1.5x, so the equivalent focal length is 270mm, and the SIGMA SD9 has a sensor magnification of 1.7x, so the equivalent focal length is 306mm.

When used with the SONY α900, there are no electronic contacts, but you can connect the lens to the camera using the Adaptall 2α/MAX’M adapter.
The FUJIFILM Finepix S3Pro uses the Adaptall2 NIKON-F adapter.
The LEICA M-P typ240 uses the Adaptall2 LEICA-R adapter stacked with the LEICA R-LEICA M adapter.
The SIGMA SD series uses the Adaptall2 M42 adapter stacked with the M42-SIGMA SA adapter.

The Adaptall2 NIKON-F and PENTAX-KA have an aperture transmission mechanism, so they can be used in A mode, but adapters without an aperture transmission mechanism use the actual aperture, which has the disadvantage of making the viewfinder darker when the aperture value is increased.

The electronic viewfinders on the LEICA M-P typ240 and mirrorless cameras are easy to use because the brightness of the viewfinder automatically adjusts as the lens becomes darker.

3．Summary

In conclusion, to sum up the Tamron 63B SP 180mm F2.5 is a lens that can be used with a camera equipped with a 35mm full-frame sensor and produces satisfactory images. 180mm telephoto lenses are sold relatively inexpensively, so it’s a good idea to try out lenses from various manufacturers and choose the one you like best.

Specification

I’ve actually purchased this 63B three times. The 63B was supposed to be available in two versions: a limited edition with a 35th-anniversary gold plate and a regular version, but it always came with the gold plate. I’ve only ever seen the gold-plated version on Google Images and the used market, so I’m curious to know if there’s a non-gold-plated version? I’m curious to know how many were made.

In the prime lens era, telephoto lenses over 200mm were considered somewhat specialized, and for general photography, the only options were 135mm or 180mm. However, with the advent of the zoom era for SLR lenses, and the release of large-aperture 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lenses from various manufacturers, 135mm and 180mm prime lenses were largely forgotten.

From the 2000s to the 2010s, this lens could be purchased in good condition for around ¥20,000, but as the number of lenses available has decreased, the price of good quality lenses has gradually increased.

With the advent of the mirrorless era, we’ve seen a return to prime lenses, but these have mainly been wide-angle lenses, with telephoto limits of around 100mm, and the hope of a 180mm prime lens being released seems slim.

The 180mm focal length has been dominated by high-magnification zooms and medium telephoto 70-200mm zooms, but in the past, various companies have released unique 180mm prime lenses. These lenses allow you to enjoy the unique image quality of each manufacturer at a relatively affordable price, while still maintaining the limited usability of prime lenses, so if you have the opportunity, I recommend giving them a try.

• APO LANTHAR SL 180mm F4・Shige’s hobby
• APO ELMARIT R 180mm・Shige’s hobby
• APO TELYT R 180mm F3.4・Shige’s hobby

Item	TAMRON	APO LANTHAR	APO-TELYT
focal length(mm)	180	180	180
Maximum aperture	2.5	4	3.4
Minimum aperture	32	22	22
Lens configuration	8	9	8
Leaf blade	10 elements in 7 groups	9 elements in 7 groups	7 elements in 4 groups
Minimum distance(m)	1.2	1.2	2.5
Lens length(mm)	124	79	135
Lens max diameter(mm)	81.5	65.6	68
Filter type	77	49	60
Weight(g)	856	485	750
Hood	73FH	LH-75S	組み込み
Lens mount	ニコンF キヤノンEF ソニーα オリンパスOM キヤノンFD M42 ペンタックスK ライカR CY など	ニコンF オリンパスOM キヤノンFD M42 ペンタックスK CY	ライカR
Production numbers	3000+α	–	17,000
Release date	1988-1992	2003.08	1975
Price	¥133,000	¥65,000	–

Reference links

• TAMRON 63B Official Page
• Adaptall II MF Lens
• Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 180mm f2.5 LD IF (63B)

Affiliate Links

• TAMRON・Ads by Amazon
• TAMRON Books・Ads by Amazon

【中古】【訳有品】タムロン SP 180mm F2.5 LD 63B 35周年記念モデル CA01-A9459-3W1E-ψ TAMRON オールド レンズ LDレンズ 中古 価格：38,150円（税込、送料別) (2025/2/9時点)

Update history

• 2025.9.5