Tamron SP 60mm f/2 Di II 1:1 Macro 60mm

Sharp as hell and fast for a macro, but the autofocus belongs in a museum. Buy it cheap, manual focus, and you'll love it.

Sharpness is where this lens earns its keep. The two LD elements do real work here, and our optical score lands in the 73rd percentile, which is solid for a lens at this price. The f/2 aperture is the headline feature, and it delivers. You can shoot portraits with genuinely creamy backgrounds, though the bokeh score sits at a disappointing 14th percentile, so don't expect buttery smooth out-of-focus areas in every situation. The 7-blade diaphragm is fine, but it's not going to win any bokeh contests. What surprised us most is the working distance. You get 9.1 inches of minimum focus distance, which sounds short, but the internal focusing design means the lens doesn't extend, so you're not scaring off skittish subjects. The autofocus, though, is where things get rough. It's slow, it hunts in low contrast, and it's noisy enough that you'll notice it. For macro work you'll be manual focusing anyway, but for portraits, the AF can be a real frustration.

The Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN is the obvious modern alternative if you want a versatile zoom with decent close-up ability, but it can't touch the Tamron's 1:1 macro or f/2 aperture. The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS gives you stabilization and a huge zoom range, but it's slower and not a true macro. If you're on Sony A-mount specifically, the Tamron is one of the few dedicated macro options left, which makes the comparison a bit moot. The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.8 is cheaper and faster, but it's full frame and manual focus only, so it's a different beast entirely. For pure macro on APS-C, the Tamron still holds its own against newer glass, but the autofocus gap is real.

This is where things get interesting. In the US, prices range from $349 to $524 depending on the vendor, and that's a massive spread for the same lens. If you can find it at the low end, it's a steal. At the high end, you're paying too much for a lens with known autofocus quirks. The EUR pricing is even wilder, ranging from €1,251 to €1,849, which makes no sense for a lens this old. If you're in Europe, shop around hard or look at used copies. The value proposition is simple: this lens is worth it if you get it cheap and you're willing to manual focus for macro work. If you're paying top dollar, you're getting ripped off.

The Tamron SP 60mm f/2 Di II is a bit of an odd duck. It's a macro lens that shoots like a portrait lens, and honestly, that's the whole appeal. On an APS-C Sony A-mount body you get a 90mm equivalent field of view, which is a sweet spot for headshots, and the f/2 aperture is unusually bright for a macro. Most macro lenses top out around f/2.8, so this thing gives you real background separation when you're not chasing bugs. The 1:1 magnification is there when you want it, but the real story is how sharp this lens is across the board. Our database puts it in the 80th percentile for macro performance, which means it's genuinely good at its primary job. But the autofocus is a known weak point, and that's going to matter more than you think.

If you need fast, reliable autofocus for moving subjects or low-light portraits, this isn't your lens. Go grab a modern mirrorless macro or a dedicated portrait prime instead. And if you're on a system with in-body stabilization, you'll miss it here, since this lens has none and the A-mount bodies don't help.

The Tamron SP 60mm f/2 Di II is a sharp, fast macro lens that doubles as a decent portrait lens, but the autofocus is a genuine liability. If you're shooting macro, you'll be manual focusing anyway, and in that mode this lens is excellent. If you're hoping for a quick-focusing portrait lens, you'll be frustrated. The price spread is wild, so shop carefully. At $349, it's a no-brainer. At $524, you should look elsewhere. For A-mount shooters who want 1:1 macro without breaking the bank, this is still one of the better options out there.