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Tamron is planning to offer another option for Sony E-mount shooters: the new 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD (Model A068) zoom lens. Announced as ‘in development,’ this full-frame zoom lens offers a versatile zoom range from ultra-wide 17mm up to a standard 50mm, making it an ideal choice for landscapes, travel, portraiture and everything in between, all in a compact package. The constant F4 aperture helps maintain its small size while also making it an excellent choice for stills and video pursuits.
Full specs, such as a complete optical layout, size or weight, are not yet available. Still, Tamron does state that the lens utilizes a VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor to drive the autofocusing system. Linear motor AF systems are excellent for fast and precise focusing performance and are nearly silent – ideal for video applications. The new Tamron 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD also features very good close-focusing specs, with a minimum objective distance of 0.19m (7.5in.) at 17mm and 0.3m (11.8in) at 50mm.
It’s worth noting that the Tamron 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD features an internal zooming design, meaning the lens’s length does not change while zooming. This is ideal for maintaining a balanced handling while shooting, and could be beneficial to videographers using gimbals.
The 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD is also designed with a fully moisture-resistant construction and includes a fluorine coating to help shed dirt and moisture from the front lens element. The lens uses a 67mm filter thread size. The 17-50mm lens is also compatible with Tamron’s Lens Utility software tool, allowing for additional user customization functions and firmware updates.
Pricing information is not yet available, but Tamron states the lens is scheduled to go on sale in the fall.
Press Release
TAMRON announces development of world’s first1 17-50mm wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras: 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD (Model A068)
Zooming from 17mm ultra wide-angle to 50mm standard, unique lens offers maximum versatility for still and video creators
August 23, 2023, Commack, NY – Tamron announces the development of the 17-50mm F/4 Di III VXD (Model A068), a wide-angle zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The lens is expected to be available this Fall.
This groundbreaking lens zooms from 17mm ultra wide-angle to 50mm standard, the world’s first with such a dynamic zoom range for full-frame mirrorless cameras. TAMRON’s new 17-50mm F4 for Sony mirrorless cameras is a wide-angle zoom with a constant F4 aperture covering ultra wide-angle to standard focal lengths, a zoom range ideal for both still photography and video recording. This lens achieves excellent optical performance across the entire zoom range, with crispness from edge-to-edge. The lens also incorporates VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism with superior quietness and agile performance and achieves high-speed and high-precision autofocus. Additionally, the physical length of the lens does not change while zooming. It’s the perfect lens for taking still photos and is also ideal for video shooting, in part since it’s easy to balance even when fitted to a gimbal stabilizer or other equipment. The excellent close-range shooting performance provides an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.19m (7.5in) at the wide end and 0.3m (11.8in) at the tele end. This lets users get closer to the subject to capture one-of-a-kind photos in a broad range of situations. The ideal “walk around” lens, the new 17-50mm F4 zoom offers great portability and convenience and makes it possible to shoot a variety of content, both still images and video, from sweeping landscapes to snapshots, all without switching lenses.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
- Zoom lens that covers ultra wide-angle to standard focal length at constant F4 aperture
- High optical performance and image quality throughout the entire zoom range
- Compact for easy handling with internal zoom for superlative balance
- Fast and accurate AF for still and video shooting
- Outstanding close-range shooting performance expands versatility
- Additional features for greater convenience
- Proprietary software tool TAMRON Lens UtilityTM expands the possibilities of still imaging and video capture
- User-friendly features (Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating)
- 67mm filter size, same as most other TAMRON lenses for mirrorless cameras
(1) Among the zoom lenses for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras (As of July 2023 — TAMRON)
*Specifications, appearance, functionality, etc. are subject to change without prior notice.
Author:
William Brawley
Source: Dpreview
