Tamron has pulled the covers off not one, but two new lenses which have been designed for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is a full frame lens that will appeal to wildlife photographers, while the 11-20mm F/2.8 Di III-A RXD has been designed for Sony’s range of awesome APS-C sensor cameras such as the a6600.
Let’s start with the 11-20mm Di III-A RXD, which features an effective focal length of 16.5-30mm – versatile focal length that makes this lens suitable for everything from landscapes and architecture photographer through to street photography, wider portraiture work and, thanks to that fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 that is constant throughout the focal range, the lens can also do a job for wedding photographers too.
Despite that fast aperture, the 11-20mm is a compact and portable lens that measures only 86.2mm (3.4 in) in length and tips the scales at just 335g (11.8 oz). Because this light lens can be paired with an equally light Sony APS-C body like the a6600, the combo will likely be popular with videographers who want a lightweight combo to pair with a gimbal.
The 11-20mm features a ‘12 elements in 10 groups’ construction that includes two GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) lens elements to help with image quality and one XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) / two LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements to combat aberrations. Lastly, the lens features Tamron’s BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating to suppress ghosting and flare and with a closest focusing distance of just 15cm, photographers can make the most of foreground interest close to the lens.
Switching from wide-angle to telephoto, the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is a lens that can be paired with full-frame Sony cameras such as the a9 or new a1 pro-level sports and, despite the long focal length (225-750mm when used on a APS-C Sony), this is a lens that won’t weigh you down as it tips the scales at just 1,725g.
Portability really is the key word with the 150-500mm and the optic measures just 209.6mm (8.3 in) long, making it a wise choice for wildlife photographers looking to travel light and save space in their kit bags. The lens zooms from 150mm to 500mm by rotating the zoom ring through an arc of just 75° — less than one-quarter of a turn.
The lens not only features Tamron’s acclaimed Vibration Compensation (VC) technology to stabilise the lens and keep shots sharper but also boasts a VXD linear motor focus mechanism (first introduced in Tamron’s 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD lens) to allow the autofocus system to lock onto subjects swiftly.
Other features include a closest focusing distance of 0.6m (23.6 in) at the 150mm end and 1.8m (70.9 in) at the 500mm telephoto end, along with moisture-resistance and a lens hood with flexible, protective front portion. Both lenses are expected to start shipping from the middle of June.