lenses galore… now give us more?
The world of photographic tools expands yet again!
Tamron, a Japanese manufacturer of lenses under its own brands as well as under contract for other companies, has announced a 100 – 400mm lens will be launched before the end of 2017.
September 15, 2017, Commack, New York— Tamron USA, Inc. announces the development of a new ultra-telephoto 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD zoom lens (Model A035) for full-frame DSLR cameras. The advanced optical design of Model A035 includes 3 LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements for greater aberration reduction and Tamron’s original eBAND Coating for superior anti-reflection performance. At 39.3 oz., the new lens is the lightest weight in its class[1] and features magnesium material in key areas of the lens barrel to improve weight reduction, strength and portability.
PRODUCT NAME
DATE OF LAUNCH
100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A035）
For Canon and Nikon mountLaunch planned by the end of 2017
Source: http://www.tamron-usa.com/news/2017/100400_a035_dev_sep17.html
39 ounces (2.4 pounds) is a somewhat impressive weight…
For comparison…
The Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens comes in at 49 ounces (3 pounds),
The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens comes in at 3.45 pounds,
And the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens comes in at 3.5 pounds.
This new lens is also on top of the uber utilitarian 18 – 400mm zoom lens announced and released earlier this year…
June 23, 2017, Commack, New York – Tamron, a leading manufacturer of optics for diverse applications, announces the launch of the new 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028), the world’s first ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens for APS-C DSLR cameras, which covers a focal length range of 18-400mm. Since the 1992 launch of its AF28-200mm F/3.8-5.6 Aspherical (Model 71D), Tamron has dominated the all-in-one zoom category and has produced many lenses that cover wide-angle to telephoto zoom ranges. Tamron has now developed an ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom that extends to 400mm (35mm equivalent of 620mm) and a 22.2x zoom ratio. Packed in a light, compact body (4.8in./24.9oz.)[2] is Tamron’s accumulated knowledge and experience for all-in-one zoom lenses, including the most advanced optical and mechanical designs, an HLD (High/Low torque modulated Drive) for the AF system and the Vibration Compensation system. Photographers can now enjoy wide-angle to ultra-telephoto photography using one lens, which is ideal for travel photography and eliminates the need to carry extra lenses. The new Model B028 lens enables photographing a wide variety of ultra-telephoto images including everyday casual scenes. The 18-400mm will be available in the U.S. at the end of July at $649.
Source: http://www.tamron-usa.com/news/2017/18400_b028_jun17.html
Considering that the 18 – 400mm lens has garnered good customer reviews, and Tamron’s other recent lenses have also been well received, I can’t help but think Tamron’s new 100 – 400mm lens will be a great alternative to equivalent brand name lenses.
However, I’m going to go ahead and guess that Tamron is going to take a lens out of Sigma’s Art lens book and price their 100 – 400mm at only a small relative discount to its peers.
Current Pricing for Comparable Lenses:
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens – $2049.00
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens – $2,296.95
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens – $2,498.00
I’m going to bet Tamron’s 100 – 400mm lens comes in around $1799 – $1899. Just enough of a discount to entice customers while still keeping a nice margin for Tamron on a relatively popular lens.
Anyways, let’s hope Tamron’s new lens turns out to be a good value.