Tamron announce new 28-75mm F/2.8 lens for mirrorless

Tamron have announced a new lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras, the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD. The new lens is the first standard zoom alternative to Sony's own lenses.

Tamron say they have gone with an entirely new design for the lens, which is made up of 15 elements in 12 groups. This includes special XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), LD (Low Dispersion) and GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) elements, and two hybrid aspherical elements, all designed to correct aberrations and reduce overall lens size.

The lens measures 11.6cm and weighs just 549g, and features a moisture-resistant construction as well as a hydrophobic Fluorine coating that's resistant to fingerprints and dirt. 

The 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD features Tamron’s BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating, which will help cut down reflections, while it also features a nine-blade circular aperture which Tamron says will deliver beautiful bokeh.

A promising feature is the lens will be compatible with many of Sony's own features, including Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, Direct Manual Focus (DMF) and in-camera lens correction (shading, chromatic aberration, distortion).

Users will also get an AF drive that accurately detects the position of the lens as well as an RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit that's been optimized for AF. This should mean AF is fast and quiet.

The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD will be available at the end of May. Australian RRP is $1,299.