Tamron Introduces APS-C Constant-Aperture Zoom

2020.12.03

Just now Tamron announced the addition of a new constant-aperture zoom to their lineup of lenses designed for cropped-sensor cameras. This lens is designed for mirrorless digital cameras. The Di III-A variant of the series is the first such naming and it is unclear what it represents yet.

The new Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 VC RXD covers a 4X optical zoom range familiar to DSLR owners yet with a new optical design which allows a maximum F/2.8 aperture rather than F/4 as models available for over a decade. Along with the incremental change of a slight brighter aperture towards telephoto almost matches the magnification of such models.

This lens features weatherproof construction which is the only notable improvement among competitors. It also offers image-stabilization which is not present on most Sony E-mount APS-C cameras, unlike their Full-Frame lineup which is almost entirely stabilized. This 17-70mm F/2.8 lens is threaded to accept 67mm filters. The extra glass needed for an F/2.8 aperture at the long end pushes the weight of this lens to 525g, making it the heaviest in its class.

This Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 VC RXD is expected to ship in mid-January for Sony E-mount only. Pricing has not been announced but considering the limited innovation in this lens, it is needs to be cheap for buyers to consider it.

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