It's fair to say that third party lens manufacturers have undergone something of a renaissance in recent years. From Samyang's inexpensive but optically fine manual focus primes through to Zeiss's premium optics, photographers now have more choice than for many a year.

If you read my article "Sweet Glass: My 10 Favorite Lenses For Portrait, Boudoir & Wedding Photography" you know I'm fond of the 85mm focal length for portraiture. If you didn't read it, please check it out after reading this review. And Tamron's SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD lens surely rings this bell.

Andy Westlake tests Tamron's new image stabilised short telephoto prime

The Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD prime lens is a fast short telephoto in the classic focal length for portraits. It is also a focal length that usually offers the very best of the lens makers' art, so the standard expected is very high. It is a 35mm-format "full frame" lens.

When it comes to portrait photography, full-frame users instinctively reach for their 85mm lens, as this focal length tends to produce the most flattering results. Tamron's latest release in its new-look range is a stylish 85mm f/1.8 that boasts a sleek, clean design and a special coating that...

Tamron's VC image stabilization system enables handheld use in dim light without flash. Camera movement-often too minute to be perceptible to the photographer-is the leading cause of unpleasant photographs.

Tamron's 85mm f/1.8 combines a fast aperture with optical stabilisation I have to admit I was a little sceptical about the Tamron 85mm f/1.8 when I first started testing it; it's big, heavy and expensive for its type, and conventional wisdom might have you think that image stabilisation is redundant...

Admittedly we neglected Tamron lenses somewhat lately and it's something that we shall fix now really. As a restart, we'll have a look at the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD. Given the fact that f/1.4 prime lenses are all the rage these days, it is a bit strange that Tamron settled for something...