First Look – Tamron 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 for E-Mount

We have got our hands on the Tamron 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 for the E-Mount, also known as model F051 and give you a first look at it.

24mm is one of the most crucial focal lengths in lens making and photography. If done right, this focal length could produce images or videos with a dramatic feel and look. 24mm is not new in Tamron’s range of products but this is the first time they are making it for the E-mount users in hope to grab some business while it is hot selling around the world, like what other third party brands has been already venturing into it. Tamron is a little late, but never too late. Let us take a closer look at this lens.

Built
As you can see, the 24mm fits well and balance in the A7 series bodies. The exterior is well polished and neat, just a focusing ring and with no extra switch or button. It also comes with a hood (HF050). This lens is built on a Moisture-Resistant Construction platform and dirt-resistant Fluorine Coating for photographers to shoot ruggedly outdoors.  Once it is turned on, we tested the autofocus naturally, the AF drive uses a newly developed OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) with minimal focusing noise. Focusing speed is reasonably fast and it is sharp to the point. Once switched to AF-C, the tracking is agile and fast. It utilises the face tracking and Eye AF from the A7 series well. It is lightweight – at only 215 gram, giving less stress if you are working with it for long hours.

Features
For a 24mm, it is a very versatile lens. Many zoom lens starts from 24mm so you know it is an important focal length. The fixed 24mm can ensure you with better optic quality, moreover, it is paired with a large F/2.8. This lens suits many different shooting styles, including candid snapshots and events. It’s F/2.8 works well in dimly lite situation and if used for closeup shots, it creates nice bokeh blur as well.

One of the important features is its ability to shoot close-ups. With this lens, you can get closer to an object at the 0.12m, this is the closest you can go and it’s maximum magnification ratio of 1:2. Now it boils down to your creativity to create dramatic perspectives.

This is a little technical but let’s look at the construction of this lens. The 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 is constructed using special glass materials including LD (Low Dispersion) and GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) lens elements effectively arranged to eliminate aberrations which in turn creates outstanding optical performance across the entire frame to delivers a sharp image, right down to the texture of the subject. Tamron’s proprietary BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating reduces ghosting and flare, such as shooting a photo against the sun.

There is no vibration control in this lens but if used with the Sony Alpha series, this lens could utilised the IBIS from the camera. This explains the lightweight of this lens and also the lightweight price too.

Compatibility
This lens is designed for Sony E-Mount, which means it works with the full-frame mirrorless cameras such as the A7 and A9 series and also the APS-C formats like the A5000 and A6000 series. It utilises most of the functions from the camera body, such as the Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, Direct Manual Focus (DMF), In-camera lens correction (shading, chromatic aberration, distortion), Camera-based lens unit firmware updates just to name a few.

Should you buy this lens?
Looking at the price at RM1,780, this is one lens you could consider to add into your collection of primes, especially the wide-angle prime lens. You may not be using it often but when you need to, it is there within your reach. Sony’s 24mm is the F/1.4 version which cost RM6,299 but it’s totally another level of quality and built altogether.

The 24mm F/2.8mm Di OSD III M1:2 is available now for RM1,780. If you are interested, please visit your distributor DSC World Sdn Bhd for more details.

Specification

Model	F051
Focal Length	24mm
Maximum Aperture	F/2.8
Angle of View (diagonal)	84°04′(for full-frame mirrorless format)
Optical Construction	10 elements in 9 groups
Minimum Object Distance	0.12m (4.7 in)
Maximum Magnification Ratio	1:2
Filter Size	Φ67mm
Maximum Diameter	Φ73mm
Length*	64mm (2.5 in)
Weight	215g (7.6 oz)
Aperture Blades	7 (circular diaphragm)
Minimum Aperture	F/22
Standard Accessory	Flower-shaped hood, Lens caps
Compatible Mounts	Sony E-mount