Tamron Di III: a nice trio of zooms enters the scene
And three. The identity of the Di III zooms that invest the Tamron catalog was known, since the brand had announced their respective developments in the heart of last summer. Here is the successor of the much appreciated 28-75 mm, now in G2 version, accompanied by a telephoto zoom detonating by its brightness, the 35-150 mm f / 2-2.8. These two models mounted on 24 x 36, in E mount. While the 18-300 mm Di III-A VC VXD, is cut for APS-C and it is available in Sony Fujifilm X mount, in addition to the E already marketed. A first for Tamron.
Are there any differences between this 28-75mm f / 2.8 Di III VXD G2 version and the first 28-75mm f / 2.8 Di III RXD? In the title already, there is a change in the focusing system. The G2 zoom inherits from the VXD linear motor, advertised by the brand as being twice as fast.
By consulting the respective technical sheets, we note a minimum focusing distance 1 cm shorter, in wide-angle and telephoto position: 18-38 cm, against 19-39 cm previously. The optical quality would be higher, and it will be possible to configure the optics more finely via Tamron Lens Utility, new in-house software, by connecting the optics via USB. Finally, the ergonomics have been optimized, with smoother rings and the addition of customization touches.
This will also be enabled with the spectacular 35-150mm f / 2-2.8 Di III VXD telephoto zoom lens, which covers 24×36. With such an aperture, the weight of 1165g is not surprising. The minimum focus distance will vary between 33 and 85cm, respectively at 35mm and 150mm. A dedicated button can be personalized, to set two distances on positions A and B, and to switch the focus between these two useful positions, which can be very video.
It will also be possible to assign the aperture setting to the focusing ring. Another example of ergonomic approval is the possibility of modifying the direction of rotation of the focusing ring. Or the choice between several manual focusing modes, linear or non-linear. The nine-blade diaphragm should provide some nice bokeh. The VXD focus system is compatible with the Fast Hybrid AF and eye detection modes of the mirrorless Sony Alpha E-mount.
The transstandard for hybrids APS-C 18-300 mm f / 3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD (27-450 mm in eq. 24 x 36), available in Sony E mount, will therefore be declined in mount Fujifilm X, as announced a few weeks ago. This is the first lens produced by Tamron in this frame.
Finally, Tamron announces the upcoming availability of a rental service for FE optics, including the 28-75 mm G2. This one will be released at the end of October, like the 35-150mm and the 18-300mm in X mount. Pricing is not yet known.