What is Tamron Adaptall

Tamron Adaptall is a lens mount system developed by the Japanese optics company Tamron. It’s designed to be a versatile and adaptable lens system that can be used with various camera brands and models. The key feature of the Tamron Adaptall system is its ability to be mounted on a wide range of camera bodies by using interchangeable lens mounts.

Here are the main characteristics and features of the Tamron Adaptall system:

1. Interchangeable Mounts: With the Tamron Adaptall system, you can change the lens mount itself to match the camera you are using. This means you can use the same Tamron lens on different camera brands (e.g., Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta) by simply swapping out the lens mount.
2. Compatibility: Tamron produced a variety of Adaptall lens mounts to cover a broad range of camera systems. These mounts are called “Adaptall-2” mounts and are designed to work with Adaptall-2 lenses.
3. Versatility: The Adaptall system offers versatility for photographers who use multiple camera brands or switch between different camera systems. It allows you to invest in a collection of Tamron lenses and adapt them to your various cameras by changing the lens mount.
4. Manual Focus: Most Tamron Adaptall lenses are manual focus, so photographers need to adjust the focus manually. This can be beneficial for certain types of photography, such as macro and landscape, where precise manual control is desired.
5. Adaptall-2 Lenses: The Adaptall-2 lenses are the primary lenses designed for this system. They come with a universal Adaptall-2 mount, and you choose the appropriate Adaptall-2 mount for your camera system separately.
6. Adapter Rings: To switch the lens mount on an Adaptall-2 lens, you need to purchase the specific adapter ring for your camera system. These adapter rings have the necessary connections to interface with your camera’s body and lens mount.
7. Legacy System: While the Tamron Adaptall system was popular in its time, it’s considered a legacy system now. Many modern cameras rely on electronic communication between the camera and lens for functions like autofocus and aperture control. As a result, Adaptall lenses may not have the same level of compatibility and functionality with modern cameras as native lenses do.

In summary, Tamron Adaptall is a lens mount system that was designed to provide photographers with flexibility and adaptability when using Tamron lenses with different camera systems. It allowed users to invest in a set of adaptable lenses and interchange the lens mounts to work with various camera brands and models. However, it’s worth noting that as camera technology has evolved, the use of legacy manual-focus lenses like Adaptall may have limitations on modern camera bodies, particularly in terms of autofocus and electronic communication.