Industry News


Tamron Announces 16.6x Zoom for Fujifilm and Sony Mounts

July 22, 2021

By Hillary K. Grigonis

Tamron just announced the development of its first 16.6x zoom for the Fujifilm X mount (right), and APS-C Sony E mount (left).

Tamron, a third-party lens company known for their Sony E mount lenses, along with Canon and Nikon mounts, is branching out. This week, the company announced the development of their first lens for the Fujifilm X mount. The lens, which will also be available in a APS-C Sony E mount, is an 18-300mm lens that Tamron says is the first 16.6x all-in-one zoom.

The upcoming Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD covers a 27-450mm full frame equivalent. Tamron is trying to fit the all-in-one zoom into even more categories by allowing a 1:2 magnification ratio at the wide end, with a 5.9-inch minimum focusing distance for close-ups.

Tamron announces 16.6x zoom

The lens will come equipped with Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive, which is Tamron’s fancy name for a linear motor focusing system that can help provide quieter, faster performance than other motors. The lens will also be equipped with image stabilization, as the VC in the name indicates.

[Read: Tamron Expands to Ultra-Wide 11-20mm and 150-500mm Lenses]

The lens is also expected to be built with some weather sealing and a fluorine coating on the front with a 67mm filter size. Tamron hasn’t yet shared how large the lens is, or how much a lens covering that wide focal length range will weigh.

As only a development announcement, Tamron hasn’t released a price yet. But, the company is giving photographers that heads up that the lens is coming, and for a mount that Tamron hasn’t provided in the past. Fujifilm offers an 18-135mm lens and a 70-300mm lens, but Tamron is aiming to offer both the wide angle and super telephoto into a single optic. Tamron says it’s also the first of its kind for Sony E mount shooters as well. That may be a welcome focal length for travel, as well as hobbyists that can’t afford to put lots of lenses in their bag.

The Fujifilm mount, however, may just be the start. In the announcement, Tamron says it will “continue to develop unique products and expand the number of lenses compatible with more camera brands.”

Both mounts are expected to be available this fall.