Lenses


Tamron Intros New DSLR Lens and Teases a Sony Full Frame Model

February 22, 2018

By Greg Scoblete

The 70-210mm F/4 Di VC USD (Model A034) for Canon and Nikon DSLRs.

Tamron has been a lot more deliberate about jumping onto the Sony bandwagon than many of its third party peers, but that looks like it’s about to change. The company announced that it’s developing a zoom lens for full frame Sony mirrorless cameras, though the exact ship date hasn’t been publicized.

But before you get your hands on the new Sony glass, Tamron does have a more immediate launch–a full frame DSLR lens that isn’t afraid to get up close and personal.

The 70-210mm F/4 Di VC USD (Model A034), can focus on objects as close as 37.4 inches with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.1, the highest in its class, according to Tamron.

The lens maintains a constant f/4 aperture throughout the zoom range and features an internal zoom mechanism. A pair of Micro Processing units drive autofocusing and help with vibration compensation, which is good to four stops, per CIPA standards. There’s a full-time manual focus override so that shooters can switch to manual focusing even when the lens is set to AF.

As for build quality, the lens is weather resistant and features fluorine coating on the front element to make the lens easier to clean. It weighs in at 30.3 ounces and measures 6.8 inches long.

The new lens is also compatible with Tamron’s 1.4x (Model TC-X14) and 2.0x (Model TC-X20) teleconverters. It also works with the optional TAP-in Console for firmware updates and lens customizations.

The lens will be available in Canon and Nikon mounts in April at $799. It is available for pre-order now.

Now about that lens for Sony mirrorless cameras, it will be the forthcoming 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A036).

The lens will have a minimum object distance of 7.5 inches at the wide end and 15.3 inches at the tele end. An RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor will drive autofocusing. Other features include a moisture resistant build, fluorine coating and support for Sony’s Direct Manual Focus system to manually override autofocusing.

Pricing and availability weren’t announced.