Tamron recently introduced a new, travel-friendly zoom lens for owners of Sony E-mount cameras and it’s worth a look.
The new model is called the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD and one of its useful characteristics for field photography is a very low weight despite the lens’s high zoom. It weighs just 1.3 lbs or 590 grams.
Aside from this benefit, you might have also noticed the extremely versatile focal range of the new optic. With the ability to shift from 28mm to 300mm, the new Tamron model is handy for outdoor use and well-lit indoor photography.
Other features of this model include a VXD linear focus motor and the inclusion of Tamron’s VC Camera Shake Reduction System. This last feature is especially handy for shooting by hand at the lens’s 300mm extreme.
In the usual Tamron tradition of creating relatively inexpensive third-party lenses with genuine quality, the brand has priced the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD at just under $900. For a telephoto lens of this scope, that’s not bad.
Tamron is also known for doing this habitually. Other examples include Tamron’s Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD or the 50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD. Both of these are also available for Sony E and they both offer unusually broad focal range at decent prices.
To put things into perspective in terms of versatility, the 28-300mm range of the newly-introduced 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD covers the vast majority of focal lengths that most photographers will ever need, even if their work is diverse.
The 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is a full-frame lens whose maximum aperture and focal range make it especially suited for working outdoors or in well-lit interior spaces.
This lens comes built with 20 elements in 13 groups and internally, it has a 9-bladed diaphragm. Its minimum focusing distance at 28mm is just 7.5 inches while its minimum focus distance at 300mm is a respectable 39 inches.
Tamron has also moisture-sealed its new lens for a reasonable level of resistance to water, rain, droplets, and even dust.
Two other useful features of the lens are its zoom lock switch and a focus set button, which are both handy during fast-paced or intense shooting sessions.
Finally, the VC in the model designation of the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD stands for Vibration Compression. This is Tamron’s own technology for reducing the effects of lens vibration and at telephoto settings, it’s extremely useful to have.
Tamron will start shipping the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD as of August 29 and it’s currently priced at $899.
Image credit: Tamron
