August was a big month for Tamron. First, the company unveiled the innovative 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD; then, following a July development announcement, Tamron launched the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD.
Both of the above models – like most of Tamron’s recent third-party lenses – are designed for Sony E-mount cameras. Yet Tamron had one more surprise in store: a final August announcement that hints at a new direction for the company and should excite Canon and Nikon mirrorless users alike.
Earlier this week, Tamron unveiled a third lens, the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD – for Nikon mirrorless. While Tamron already offers a handful of Nikon F-mount options, the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 is the company’s first Z-mount lens (and indeed, one of the only third-party Z-mount lenses in existence).
The lens itself isn’t wildly innovative, and that’s okay. It’s a new version that offers the popular 70-300mm focal length; according to Tamron, the lens “combines the world’s smallest size and lightest weight together with high image quality.” Given the lens’s unique portability, you should be able to comfortably carry it in a bag or even on your camera for hours – when hiking, walking through the city, or traveling. And the impressive optical quality in addition to “very fast and accurate autofocus” make the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 suitable for plenty of purposes, including telephoto landscape photography, portraiture, wildlife photography, sports photography, and bird photography.
While the new lens is undoubtedly suitable for hobbyists, the narrow (and variable) maximum aperture won’t impress advanced users and professionals, especially those who regularly work in low-light conditions and require an ultra-wide maximum aperture to ensure fast shutter speeds.
But as I suggested above, the excitement surrounding Tamron’s 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 announcement isn’t due to the lens’s effectiveness. Rather, the launch of a Nikon mirrorless model suggests the existence of more glass in the Tamron pipeline – additional Z-mount and likely Canon RF-mount products that would add to the two companies’ growing mirrorless lineups.
At present, Nikon and Canon both offer dozens of outstanding mirrorless lenses. But many of these products are a little too good; they offer pro-level optics and feature price tags that are unpalatable for beginners, hobbyists, and even advanced shooters.
If Tamron does develop an array of Z-mount and RF-mount lenses, it’ll be a win for consumers; the new glass will no doubt offer Tamron’s signature quality and portability but at a very reasonable price.
Now over to you:
What do you think about this Tamron announcement? Should we expect additional Z-mount (and RF-mount) lenses in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
