Tamron officially announced their wide-angle 17-28mm f2.8 zoom for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras back in February, and ever since then Sony alpha mirrorless shooters have been eagerly awaiting the lens to become available for pre-order. Well, it looks like that now, the budget lens maker, who have been making some fantastic lenses as of late, have officially opened pre-orders on their highly awaited 17-28mm zoom.
You can now pre-order the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD for $899 from B&H and other authorise dealers. The lens is expected to start shipping on July 25th, which isn’t too far away.
There are many reasons why this lens is on many Sony a7 III/Sony a7R III/a7S II shooters wish-lists: it covers full-frame, it has a fast f2.8 maximum aperture opening, and most of all – it is an affordable and lightweight ultra-wide angle zoom with a very decent coverage of 17-28mm.
The new Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 (also dubbed Model A046) will also be a perfect match for the already very popular Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (Model A036), with which it shares the same development concept, giving you more wider angle coverage.
Basically with 2 zoom lenses you have everything from 17mm to 75mm covered at f2.8, and that’s with a combined weight of less than 1kg. Try doing this with a DSLR or a S35 camcorder. And just like its 28-75mm f2.8 brother, the new Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD shares the same 67mm front filter diameter saving you time and money from carrying different size filters and/or step-up or step-down rings, which are easily lost.
As mentioned above, the 17-28mm is quite light on its feet – with a weight of just 420g (14.8 oz) and diminutive length of 99mm (3.9 in) the compact size provides excellent balance on the small profile mirrorless cameras and is easy to carry.
Tamron have made sure their new 17-28mm is compatible with many of the advanced features that are specific to certain mirrorless cameras such as Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF and Direct Manual Focus (DMF).
The AF drive system is powered by the RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit that enables it to deliver high-speed, high-precision and superbly quiet operation, making it suitable for shooting virtually noise-free video as well as still photographs. In addition, the new zoom lens features Moisture-Resistant Construction and a hydrophobic Fluorine Coating that repels fingerprints and dirt.
Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Technical Specifications
- Focal Length: 17-28mm
- Model name: Model A046
- Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Aperture: f/22
- Minimum Object Distance:
- 0.19m (Wide); 0.26m (Tele)
- Maximum Magnification Ratio: 1:5.2 (Wide); 1:6 (Tele)
- Filter Size: 67mm
- Weight: 420g
- Optical Design:
- 11 Groups
- 13 Elements
- Angle of view :103°41′ – 75° 23′
- Diaphragm Blades: 9
- Diameter x Length: 73mm x 99mm
- Available Colours: Black
The 17-28mm zoom’s optical design consists of 13 lenses in 11 groups, including three aspherical lens elements, two LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements and one XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) lens element that has properties close to those of fluorite. Together they efficiently suppress chromatic and other aberrations.
Additionally, Tamron’s legendary BBAR (Broad-Brand Anti-Reflection) Coating effectively reduces ghosting and flare. This advanced design ensures excellent optical performance matching the latest high resolution image sensors from edge-to-edge throughout the entire zoom range.
Whether you plan to use it for photos or video work, the new Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 is about to some more expensive lenses a run for their money. To learn more and check out sample photos head over to Tamron.
Pre-order links:
- Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD – $899 at B&H
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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