In summary
The versatile zoom range, fast maximum apertures and moisture-resistant construction make the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD a good choice for anyone who needs an all-in-one lens for outdoors shooting, as well as those who want to avoid frequent lens swapping.
Claimed as the fastest zoom lens thus far for Sony’s full frame E-mount cameras, the Tamron 35-150mm can handle different types of low-light work, including wedding shoots. There are faster prime lenses from Sony and other manufacturers – but no faster zooms.
The lens also supports key features of recent Sony cameras, including Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF and Direct Manual Focus (DMF). Near-silent autofocusing and smooth operation make it a good choice for videographers who want control over focusing and depth-of-field transitions.
Full review
Released simultaneously with the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 lens, the new 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD (Model A058) lens is built for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. Its fast maximum apertures and wide zoom range provide an all-in-one solution for photographers seeking to avoid lens changing. Moisture-resistant construction, a fluorine coating on the front element and a hood with a locking mechanism combine to make it a versatile general-purpose lens for use in many different situations.
Angled view of the new Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens. (Source: Tamron.)
The optical design in complex, with 21 elements in 15 groups, including four LD (Low Dispersion) and three GM (Glass Moulded Aspherical) lens elements, as shown in the diagram below. Moisture-resistant construction and a fluorine coating on the front element make this lens ideal for outdoor use.
This diagram shows the positions of the exotic elements in the optical design. (Source: Tamron.)
Autofocusing is driven by a VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor mechanism, which is fast and highly responsive to the photographer. Tamron claims it provides excellent focus tracking when shooting and is also quiet enough to be used while recording video clips. The system is compatible with Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF camera functions as well as in-camera lens corrections for shading, chromatic aberration and distortion.
The lens is supplied with front and end caps plus a petal-shaped lens hood with a locking mechanism for greater convenience.
Who’s it For?
The versatile zoom range, fast maximum apertures and moisture-resistant construction would make this lens ideal for travellers if it wasn’t quite so heavy (1.165 kilograms). But that’s a consequence of its fast maximum apertures and largely unavoidable.
Nonetheless, it could be a good choice for anyone who needs an all-in-one lens for outdoors shooting as well as those who want to avoid frequent lens swapping. Tamron says it can take the place of five prime lenses, while providing the same low light capabilities and bokeh performance.
Claimed as the fastest zoom lens thus far for Sony’s full frame E-mount cameras the Tamron 35-150mm can handle different types of low-light work, including wedding shoots. It’s worth noting there are faster prime lenses from Sony and other manufacturers – but no faster zooms. The nearest equivalent is Canon’s RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lens, which was announced in 2018 and has a constant f/2 maximum aperture across its zoom range.
The lens also supports key features of recent Sony cameras, including Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF and Direct Manual Focus (DMF). Near-silent autofocusing and smooth operation make it a good choice for videographers who want control over focusing and depth-of-field transitions.
Videographers may also welcome the ability to customise the focus set button with the new Tamron Lens Utility software. The lens can be connected to a computer by plugging the optional USB Type-A to Type-C cable into its connection port (located near the lens mount).
Four options can be set for the button:
1. Set 2 focus positions (A and B) and make the focus automatically shift between A and B;
2. Focus Preset, enabling users to set the desired focus position and move the focus to the recorded point with a click;
3. Switch the focus ring function from focus adjustment to aperture adjustment;
4. Assign custom functions from the camera body to the Focus Set Button.
The function of Focus Set Button can also be cleared via this connection and direction of rotation for the manual focus ring can be changed. Users can also chose the manual focusing method. Firmware updates can also be applied via this connection.
Build and Ergonomics
Not surprisingly for such a fast, 4.2x zoom lens, the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is relatively large and heavy, with an overall length of almost 158 mm and weighing more than a kilogram. It is very solidly built with extensive weather-resistant sealing and a waterproof UB-C interface port for linking it to a computer.
This diagram shows the weather-resistant sealing in the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens. (Source: Tamron.)
Tamron doesn’t specify the materials used in the construction of this lens but it feels a lot like extensive use has been made of high-quality industrial plastic on a metal base. The lens mount is metal and fits very snugly to the camera body, making it tricky to remove at times. A locking button is provided to prevent unwanted extension of the barrel and the supplied lens hood has a locking button to keep it in place.
The front element has a diameter of approximately 79 mm and is surrounded by a rim that is threaded to take an 83mm diameter filter. The outer edge of this rim has a bayonet fitting for the supplied petal-shaped lens hood. There’s a 5 mm wide section of the barrel behind this fitting to mark the end of the inner barrel, which extends by roughly 45 mm when zoomed from 35mm to 150mm.
The maximum aperture changes from f/2 to f/2.2 at around 40mm and to f/2.5 at 60mm, settling at f/2.8 at 80mm, as shown in the diagram above. That makes it a stop faster at its longest reach than the previous model of this lens.
The focusing ring is approximately 33 mm wide and clad in thick rubber ribbing to provide a secure grip. According to Tamron, the focusing and zoom rings have been enlarged and their grip texture has been improved by redesigning the striped pattern on the rubber to provide better handling.
Behind the focusing ring the outer barrel curves inwards a little to provide a 28 mm wide platform for the main controls. The AF/MF slider, Custom switch and Focus Set Button are located here. All have low profiles to minimise the chance of accidental re-setting.
Aft of the controls panel is the zoom ring, which is roughly 29 mm wide. The front 5 mm section is un-ribbed and carries markings for the 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 85mm, 100mm, 135mm and 150mm positions, which line up against a white line on the fixed section of the lens. Adjustments have been made to the stiffness and torque of the zoom ring to allow smoother and more precise operation.
The barrel curves in again and flattens out to carry the branding details of the lens before sloping inwards at about 30 degrees to end in the metallic brand ring. The metal lens mount is located behind it.
Performance
Our Imatest tests, showed the review lens to be capable of exceeding expectations for the 24-megapixel sensor on the Sony α7 II camera with measurements taken in the centre of the frame across a wide range of focal length settings. However, only a few of the measurements taken mid-way between the centre could match this performance and measurements close to the edge of the frame fell a little short of expectations.
As expected; ARW.RAW files captured simultaneously had slightly higher resolution across the same focal length settings. The results of our tests are shown in the graph below.
Lateral chromatic measurements were made with all in-camera corrections disabled. They showed the levels of this aberration straddled the negligible and low band, the border of which is indicated by the red line in the graph of our test results below.
This was confirmed by test shots that showed little or no signs of coloured fringing under conditions, although a few showed traces of it along high-contrast boundaries. CA was lowest with the 35mm focal length and only a little higher with raw files, and since this aberration is easily corrected in-camera this won’t be an issue for most potential users.
Vignetting was relatively low and only visible at maximum apertures across the zoom range – even with raw files. Stopping down by one stop (or a little more) caused it to disappear.
Rectilinear distortion was relatively low for an extended-range zoom lens, with just noticeable barrel distortion at 35mm swapping to visible pincushion distortion at 50mm, which didn’t become significantly worse right out to 150mm. Again, this is a relatively minor issue since Sony’s cameras include in-camera distortion correction.
Autofocusing speed and precision are largely influenced by camera settings, and we had few problems when using the review lens. Focusing was also very quiet and we couldn’t detect any focus breathing, which augurs well for its use when shooting video.
Backlit subjects were mostly handled well, but sunstars tended to be rather mushy. A few flare artefacts were found in strongly backlit shots.
Bokeh in close-ups at wide aperture settings depended a lot on background lighting. With evenly-lit backgrounds rendering was smooth and attractive but when there were specular highlights in the background they appeared as hard-edged circles, which were quite distracting. This happened regardless of the focal length setting and is something to watch out for with this lens.
Like the 28-75mm lens, the 35-150mm lens comes with Tamron’s Lens Utility software which allows users to customise the functions and update the firmware directly through the lens by connecting it to a computer via a USB cable. This enables users to adjust the lens to match the shooting situation whether it be for stills photography or videography.
Conclusion
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SPECS
Picture angle: 63.43 to 16.42 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/16-f/22
Lens construction: 21 elements in 15 groups (including 4 LD and 3 GM aspherical elements); BBAR (Broad-Brand Anti-Reflection) coating; Fluorine coating on front element
Lens mounts: Sony E-mount
Diaphragm Blades: 9 (circular aperture)
Weather resistance: Moisture-resistant construction
Focus drive: Linear focus drive with VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) mechanism
Stabilisation: No (relies on camera’s IBIS)
Minimum focus: 33 cm at 35mm, 85 cm at 150mm
Maximum magnification: 1:5.7 at 35mm / 1:5.9 at 150mm
Filter size: 82 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 89.2 x 157.5 mm (at 35mm)
Weight: 1165 grams
Standard Accessories: Front and rear cap plus petal-shaped lens hood
Distributor: Blonde Robot; (03) 9023 9777
TESTS
Based upon JPEG files taken with the Sony α7 II camera.
Based on ARW.RAW files recorded simultaneously and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 35mm f/2.
Vignetting at 50mm f/2.2.
Vignetting at 70mm f/2.5.
Vignetting at 100mm f/2.8.
Vignetting at 150mm f/2.8.
Rectilinear distortion at 35mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 50mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 70mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 100mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 150mm.
35mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/8.
150mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/8.
Close-up with evenly-lit background; 150mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/8000 second at f/2.8.
Circular highlights in close-up at 150mm, ISO 100, 1/2000 second at f/2.8.
Circular highlights in close-up at 35mm, ISO 100, 1/4000 second at f/2.
Circular highlights in close-up at 40mm, ISO 100, 1/3200 second at f/2.8.
57mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/9.
Crop from the above image magnified to 100% showing very little coloured fringing along high-contrast edges.
40mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/8.
150mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/5.
Sunstar plus flare artefacts at 59mm, ISO 100, 1/160 second at f/18.
150mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/1000 second at f/5
64mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/60 second at f/4.5.
140mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/160 second at f/4.
78mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/160 second at f/8.
99mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/50 second at f/2.8.
35mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/30 second at f/5.
100mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/30 second at f/4.5.
Shallow depth of field; 150mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/2000 second at f/2.8.
35mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/8000 second at f/2.8.
Rating
RRP: AU$2999; US$1899
- Build: 9.0
- Handling: 8.5
- Image quality: 9.0
- Autofocusing: 8.9
- Versatility: 8.9
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