Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD Lens for Sony E-Mount Announced 

Lens News

by Jose PradaAugust 12^th, 2024

Tamron has released a new travel-friendly zoom lens for the Sony E-Mount. The 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD weighs only 1.3 lbs (590 grams), and its versatile focal range makes it an affordable all-round lens for those shooting outdoors and wanting to pack light. The lens also features Tamron’s VXD linear motor focus mechanism and the VC Camera Shake Reduction System, helpful for handheld shots at the telephoto extreme. Let’s take a closer look at it!

Tamron is known for offering reasonably priced alternatives to the more expensive native lenses each system has in its catalog. One of the brand’s most interesting features is offering alternative focal lengths not typically found in the native lineup, like the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD or the 50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, both for Sony E-Mount. This is the case with the Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD, an all-in-one lens that covers 90% of the focal lengths you will ever need in everyday situations. If you are unfamiliar with Tamron lenses and their infinite acronyms and meanings, keep reading!

Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD main features

The new Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is a full-frame lens for the Sony E-Mount with a maximum aperture of f/4-7.1. These numbers make it a lens for outdoor use primarily and/or with a good amount of light hitting the sensor. It has 20 elements in 13 groups, a 9-bladed diaphragm, and a minimum focusing distance of 7.5” at the wide end and 39” at the telephoto end. The lens is moisture-sealed, compact, and weighs 1.3 lbs, making it a good companion for lightweight setups (travel videos, for example). It features a zoom lock switch and a focus set button, which is helpful for fast shooting adjustments, and the Tamron lens utility connector port, which allows for changing lens settings, assigning camera body functions, and updating firmware.

VC, VXD, and image quality 

The VC in the name stands for Tamron’s Vibration Compensation technology, a must when shooting handheld at the telephoto end, especially if your camera doesn’t have internal stabilisation. The VXD means the lens features Tamron’s Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive, a linear motor focus mechanism that improves autofocus performance. Aside from the advantages of focusing quickly, the linear motor ensures a noise level suitable for shooting video and is helpful when capturing nature footage, for example, where silence is desireable. 

According to Tamron, the 20 elements present across the 13 groups effectively control chromatic aberration, whereas the 9-bladed diaphragm gives a smooth bokeh (since this is not a fast lens, it should be more evident in the telephoto end). 

Price and availability

The new lens from Tamron is now available for preorder at $899, and the estimated shipping date is August 29, 2024. For more information, please visit Tamron’s product page here. 

What do you think of this new lens from Tamron? Are you familiar with the brand? If so, please let us know your comments below!