A new report suggests that Tamron could be working on four new lenses, and one of them would help the company cement its place as one of the most forward-thinking lens designers to date.
Tamron has been wowing us lately with their Sony E mount and Fujifilm XF mount lenses. The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 has won over the hearts of many portrait and event photographers (read our review here), and the recent 18-300mm all-in-one zoom for APS-C cameras (read our review) is fantastic.
A recent post on Sony Alpha Rumors (via CameraBeta) has suggested that Tamron is working on four new Sony E mount lenses; three primes and one exciting zoom lens.
The potential lenses
According to the report, we could see a new 35mm f/3.5 Di III OSD pancake lens. This lens will likely be very affordable and will pair perfectly with the Sony a7C. A 45mm f/1.4 Di III USD and a Tamron 90mm f/1.8 Di II USD — which would be fantastic for portraits — also make the list. However, the potential Tamron 150-400 f/2.8-5.6 Di III VC VXD has piqued our interest. A telephoto to super-telephoto zoom with fast apertures on both ends would be a very welcome addition to the Tamron lens lineup.
It’s pretty unusual to see lenses with focal ranges like this have such a fast aperture on the wide end. Even the aperture of f/5.6 on the long end is excellent. This will no doubt be beneficial for wildlife and bird photographers. This lens, coupled with Sony cameras that perform low-light miracles, will be fantastic. What’s not mentioned is whether or not this lens will be compatible with teleconverters. One can only hope.
Whether or not we will see these potential lenses adapted for use on Fujifilm cameras remains to be seen. Still, Sony photographers certainly have some fascinating lenses to look forward to.
Tamron and other third-party lens manufacturers are leading the way
While first-party lenses are fantastic, most offerings from Sony, Canon, Nikon et al. are run of the mill. Sure, we need the lenses and the focal ranges they offer. However, it’s third-party lens manufacturers who are currently pushing the bar when it comes to lens design. Tamron and Sigma are leading the way; however, IRIX, 7Artisans, Laowa, Lensbaby and others are all producing lenses that open up many more creative opportunities. Right now, it’s Sony and its users who are benefiting from third-party lens R&D.
More camera manufacturers need to be open to third-party lens manufacturers developing lenses for their platforms. We recently discussed this in a post regarding Canon RF and Nikon Z mount cameras. They both desperately need third-party support. Their user bases will soar if they adopt the innovative lenses from forward-thinking lens companies.
With the help of Tamron, Sigma and the rest, camera manufacturers can expand their reach and open up many new creative opportunities for the photographers and creators who use their platforms. One thing for sure is that the creative world would be a boring place without third-party lens manufacturers spearheading innovation.
Are you excited about the potential new lenses from Tamron? Which ones excite you the most? Do you think we will see more third-party support for platforms other than Sony and Fujifilm? Let us know in the comment section below.
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