Who can complain about more fast-aperture standard zooms from Tamron? Not this guy! The popular Model B070 lens—that’s Tamron’s 17–70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD—is coming to both Nikon Z mount and Canon RF mount on July 2nd. Already available for Sony E mount and Fujifilm X mount, this will be one of Tamron’s most broadly native lenses.
NB: The bright, fast f/2.8 aperture is a familiar sight on Tamron’s excellent line of lenses for full-frame E-mount, as is the 67mm filter thread size, but “Di III-A” is a less-common designation for Tamron. Can you crack the code? That’s right: the “A” is for APS-C!
A quick refresher on Tamron terminology: “Di” stands for “Digitally integrated” and indicates lenses designed to function well with digital cameras. There are four Di designations, as follows…
Di: DSLR lenses whose imaging circle will cover a full-frame sensor (or 35mm film)
Di II: DSLR lenses whose imaging circle will cover an APS-C sensor
Di III: Lenses designed for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras whose imaging circle will cover a full-frame sensor
Di III-A: Lenses designed for mirrorless ILCs whose imaging circle will cover an APS-C sensor
For the massive population of imaging enthusiasts who are perfectly happy using a camera with an APS-C-sized sensor—myself included!—a lens that is designed to fit the sensor you’re actually using can provide quality that equals any full-frame lens in a significantly smaller and lighter package—if the lens is manufactured with the same level of care. And for this one? That seems to be the case.
16 elements in 12 groups, including two GM (“glass-molded aspherical”) and one hybrid aspherical, have been meticulously engineered to provide edge-to-edge sharpness and coated to minimize distortion and aberrations. Add vibration control to the quality of the glass and you’re looking at a recipe for crisp, clean images and video, all day long—especially considering the notably light, compact frame.
The AF system utilizes Tamron’s Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive (RXD), so you won’t have to worry about grinding noise in your videos, and focus breathing has been suppressed to the greatest possible extent.
The front element is fluorine coated to make cleaning a snap, of course, and the whole body is moisture resistant thanks to tight construction and moderate sealing.
A minimum focusing distance of only 7.5″ at 17mm rounds out the utility of this lovely lens, and it’s all packed into a supremely-baggable 4.7″, ~19 oz frame. Bonus for Canon RF mount users: physical AF/MF and VC on/off switches!
Check out some sample images below (click to enlarge), then click here or head over to a Mike’s Camera near you to get your name on the pre-order list.
