Tamron has announced the USA pricing and availability of their highly anticipated 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens for Sony full-frame E-mount that was first reported in February, as well as additional technical details about the lens. Tamron’s USA retailers such as B&H Photo will have the lens in stock on May 24th for a price of $799, making it about $1400 cheaper than the Sony 24-70 f/2.8 GM. It is currently available for pre-order from B&H and Adorama.
Additional Lens Details
The unique design of the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lens allows it to focus on subjects a mere 2.24 inches (5.7cm) away from the front element when using the 28mm end of the zoom range, which Tamron calls a minimum object distance1 MOD typically refers to the distance from the front element of a lens to the subject, which Tamron seems to be calling the “working distance” in this case, while “minimum focal distance” is the distance from the subject to the camera’s sensor or focal plane marker, according to Nikon. (MOD) of 7.5 inches. When zoomed in to the 75mm end, the MOD changes to 15.3 inches, giving us reproduction ratios of 1:2.9 and 1:4, respectively. This means that you can get near-macro results from either end of the zoom range, while achieving very different visual effects: a soft, blurred background at the 75mm end, or a wider, more detailed perspective at the 28mm end.
Tamron also announced the optical formula of the new lens which contains fifteen elements in twelve groups. Among these elements we find an XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) element, LD (Low Dispersion) element, GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) element and two hybrid aspherical lens elements, all of which combine to reduce aberrations while keeping the lens lightweight. The front element is treated with Tamron’s latest anti-reflective coating, and the diaphragm contains 9 rounded aperture blades for smoother bokeh.
Otherwise, the technical details of the lens remain unchanged since first reported: the lens weighs 19.4 oz, features a quiet RXD stepping motor and weather sealing, and is compatible with the full range of special features that you’d expect with a Sony lens mated to their own body, such as Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, Direct Manual Focus, in-camera lens correction, and camera-based firmware updates.
