When the sun is low in the sky (not summer, early in the day, late in the day) there is significantly more UVA than UVB
Under those conditions you can tan but get very little vitamin D
Note: Example: UVA >> UVB when you are standing (cylinder) and the solar zenith angle is say 30 degrees (close to the horizon)
From Sun and Sun Beds: Inducers of Vitamin D and Skin Cancer- 2009 file from ANTICANCER RESEARCH: 2009
See also Vitamin D Life
- Overview Suntans melanoma and vitamin D has the following chart
Very little of the tanning bulb intensity actually generates vitamin D