Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens coming soon

Side view of the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens (Model A036). (Source: Tamron.)

Measuring only 117.8 mm in length and weighing just 550 grams, the new lens is relatively compact and light in weight. It features Moisture-Resistant Construction that is useful in outdoor photography, plus a hydrophobic Fluorine Coating that is highly resistant to fingerprints and dirt.

The optical design contains 15 elements in 12 groups and includes a special XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) element, an LD (Low Dispersion) element, GM (Glass Moulded Aspherical) element and two hybrid aspherical lens elements in the optimal arrangement to correct aberrations and reduce the overall lens size.

Tamron’s BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating suppresses internal reflections throughout the entire zoom range, even when shooting in backlit conditions.

The nine-bladed circular diaphragm design and fast maximum aperture can produce attractive background blur effects (bokeh), making it ideal for portraiture.

At the 28mm focal length it will focus to within 19 cm of subjects, providing a dramatic perspective. At 75mm, the 39 cm MOD (minimum object distance) provides an image magnification of 1:4, enabling close-up shooting with a pleasantly blurred background similar to a macro lens. It also features a new AF driving system, based upon a RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) that strikes a balance between speed and silent operation and enables focus tracking when shooting video clips.

The new lens has a mirrorless-oriented design that adheres to Tamron’s new “Human Touch” lens design concept. It will fully match with the various camera-specific features of Sony cameras, including Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, in-camera lens correction and Direct Manual Focus (DMF) functions that ensure comfortable user experiences, along with camera-based lens unit firmware updates.

Australian RRP is $1,299. Pre-orders can be placed with specialist online imaging re-sellers.