Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di II LD Macro (Type A15)

Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Nikon D50 + Tamron LD Di II AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Type A15 lens.

Nikon D2Xs and Tamron AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di II LD (A15) lens.

This is unposed. I don't know who these people are nor what they look like. For all I know they're a phalanx from the Women's Institute on an outing to the National Trust garden at The Courts, Holt. I had pretty much given up on the day and was en route to the tearoom (highly recommended - not only is the cake delicious, they even chase after you when you leave your coat behind). And lo! these people hove into my viewfinder in a way that I could scarcely improve upon even if I were directing their movement and positions. I love the enigmatic air and the curious separation of what I presume is a group (but they might not have been together). The woman in the foreground was reading something. Perhaps it was her diary. Maybe she never travels without her diary. One should always have something sensational to read. Nikon D2Xs + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di II LD Macro lens at 100mm and as wide as it will go at f/4.2. The D2X is an old camera now, and has been left far behind in digital technology development. It's not good at high ISO except for black-and-white work where a grainy appearance is wanted. For colour work it remains exceptional at 100 ISO and furthermore provides pictures pretty much free from noise. You might think it unusual to match it with a cheap Tamron 55-200mm lens which is quite the opposite regarding construction and sturdiness, but that lens can deliver nice results whilst sparing you backache from carrying it around. It is small, lightweight, and continues to justify its investment of £30 (used) three years ago.

Bath, Somerset: a wet day at the start of August. Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens. The detail was picked out with the aid of a Minolta Close-Up Lens No.1 screwed into the filter ring.

Bath, Somerset: a wet day at the start of August. Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens. The foreground was picked out with the aid of a Minolta Close-Up Lens No.1 screwed into the filter ring.

Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Tamron AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di II LD (A15) on a Nikon D50.

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro + Tamron AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Macro Di II LD lens.

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Di II LD lens. You can buy these lenses very cheaply on the secondhand market. I paid £29. I had owned the Nikon VR equivalent, two copies in fact, and didn't really like it, although the results were good enough. Then I found that carrying a heavy pro lens when just enjoying an outing was a bit fatiguing, and so I bought this Tamron. It's compact and lightweight without the encumbrance of VR motors, and a fine performer at f/8 - f/11; decent even at wider apertures when not fully stretched. Its field-of-view is equivalent to an 80-300mm lens on a full-frame camera. Not bad for a lens you can carry around in your coat pocket.

Bath, Somerset: a wet day at the start of August. Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Bath, Somerset: a wet day at the start of August. Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Bath, Somerset: a wet day at the start of August. Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Nikon D50 + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens. The foreground was picked out with the aid of a Minolta Close-Up Lens No.1 screwed into the filter ring.

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro + Tamron AF Zoom 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens and a Minolta Close-Up Lens No.1 screwed into the filter ring.

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro + Tamron AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 + Minolta Close-Up supplementary lens No.1.

A detail of a bronze by Elizabeth Frink in Salisbury cathedral close. Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro + Tamron AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.