Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD Lens for Sony E Mount Cameras

Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD

The Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (codename A046) is a lightweight and compact wide-angle zoom lens. With a total weight of only 420g and small size of only 99mm long, it features a constant F/2.8 aperture through the entire range. The overall length does not change when you zoom/focus, making it an ideal lens for gimbal use. Otherwise, one thing I didn’t like about Tamron zoom lenses is that the zoom ring is at the front and the focus ring is at the rear of the glass.

This lens is a perfect addition next to the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD that is already available for a year. This new 17-28mm has a relatively small 67mm front filter ring, similar to the 28-75mm.

The AF drive system uses a Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive motor (RXD). This motor should provide quick and precise autofocus in any circumstances. For video shooters, Tamron claims that this RXD motor makes this lens “suitable for shooting virtually noise-free video as well as still photographs.” The minimum focusing distance is only 0.19m (7.5 in) at the wide-angle end.

The lens design of the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD consists of 13 lenses in 11 groups. It includes three aspherical lens elements, two low dispersion lens elements, and one extra-low dispersion. These lens elements should suppress chromatic aberrations. On top of that, there is Tamron’s proprietary BBAR (Broad-Brand Anti-Reflection) coating to reduce ghosting and flare.

Finally, there is a fluorine coating applied to the front element making it less prone to fingerprints and more comfortable to clean. Also, the 17-28mm construction is moisture-resistant thanks to various seals at the lens mount area and other critical locations.