From its announcements some six months ago back in October last year, Tamron has finally unleashed this lens from the cage but with no product shipping date in sight.
Sony E-Mount users have been waiting for this lens until kingdom come, and while Tamron has made a statement that the 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD is launched, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, there is no shipping date in the near future as yet.
With the release of the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD, they have virtually completed their own large fixed-aperture “Holy Trinity” zoom lenses range, with the two others, namely the Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD and the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD. Let us take a quick tour to understand this lens better with these key features:-
1. Compact
The 70-180mm F/2.8 incorporates an innovative zoom mechanism and 180mm telephoto power. It was possible to maintain extreme lightweight and compactness even while attaining a fast F/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range by leveraging the camera-based image stabilization. The filter diameter is 67mm with an overall weight of 810g. The super-compact size helps make handheld shooting a breeze.
2. New Focusing Mechanism
Tamron developed its first-ever linear motor AF drive focus mechanism, VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), especially for the 70-180mm F/2.8 which they claim is faster than ever before, the drive also maintains positional accuracy down to 0.005mm (0.0002 in), less than one-tenth the width of a human hair! This provides unprecedented fast and precise AF performance. A floating system that uses two high-speed, high-precision VXD units with advanced electronic control is also used. It is also exceptionally quiet for low-noise shooting in silent settings, not just for still images but also video.
3. High Image Quality
The 70-180mm F/2.8 has an optical construction of 19 elements in 14 groups. It includes a total of six XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) and LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements combined, and three GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) and hybrid aspherical lens elements combined. These designs will correct chromatic aberration and maintain very high-resolution performance from edge-to-edge. This model also features BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating, which minimizes ghosting and flare.
4. Standard Filter Size
The 70-180mm F/2.8 features the same 67mm filter diameter as Tamron’s other lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras including the 17-28mm F/2.8 (Model A046), an ultra-wide-angle zoom, and the 28-75mm F/2.8 (Model A036), a standard zoom, as well as the fixed focal lens series (20mm, 24mm, and 35mm). Apart from effective cost savings for your accessories, it is also highly convenient and mobile too.
5. Close Focusing Distance
The new 70-180mm F/2.8 lens has a MOD of 0.85m throughout the entire zoom range. This is astonishingly close for a large aperture telephoto zoom lens. The short MOD paves the way for impressive telephoto shooting at a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.6 at the 180mm telephoto end.
6. Moisture-Resistant
Seals are located at the lens mount area and other critical locations to deter infiltration of moisture and/or rain drops and afford Moisture-Resistant Construction. This feature provides an additional layer of protection when shooting outdoors under extreme weather conditions. The front surface of the lens element is coated with a protective fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellant qualities. Additionally, the conventional Zoom Lock switch prevents unwanted barrel extension during transportation.
7. Compatible with Sony Alphas
Tamron’s new 70-180mm F/2.8 is compatible with many of the advanced features in the Sony Full Frame Alphas 7, 9 series and the APS-C 5000/6000 series mirrorless cameras. This includes Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, Direct Manual Focus (DMF), In-camera lens correction (shading, chromatic aberration, distortion) and Camera-based lens unit firmware update
Likely to be available in May 2020 if the business is back to normal, the price is RM5,390. If you are interested, please contact the distributor, Futuromic AV Sdn Bhd for more information.
Specification
| Model | F056 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 70-180mm |
| Maximum Aperture | F/2.8 |
| Angle of View (diagonal) | 34°21′ – 13-42′(for full-frame mirrorless format) |
| Optical Construction | 19 elements in 4 groups |
| Minimum Object Distance | AF 0.85m (4.7 in) in full zoom range MF 0.2m (10.6 in) in wide |
| Maximum Magnification Ratio | AF: 1:4.6, MF: 1:2 (WIDE) / 1:4.6 (TELE) |
| Filter Size | Φ67mm |
| Maximum Diameter | Φ81mm |
| Length* | 149mm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 810g (28.6 oz) |
| Aperture Blades | 9 (circular diaphragm) |
| Minimum Aperture | F/22 |
| Standard Accessory | Flower-shaped hood, Lens caps |
| Compatible Mounts | Sony E-mount |
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