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Many of you probably don’t know about one of Tamron’s coolest lenses. But the new Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A reminds me so much of it. I’m talking about the ancient Tamron 28-105mm f2.8 lens. It’s long been discontinued, but it proved very good for APS-C photographers many years ago. And the Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A is continuing that tradition. The only difference now is that they’re specifically catering to APS-C with focal lengths that fit the cause. When it launches for $799, it’s probably going to be one of the most essential, weather-sealed lenses for the Sony APS-C system.
This lens is seriously the kind of thing that excites me. And I understand why you’d also feel the same way. You see, everyone is making good lenses. You have to really try to make an awful lens these days. But not many brands are making something completely different. Sony was for a while with their G Master lenses sporting 11 aperture blades. Canon and Sigma have autofocusing f1.2 lenses. Fujifilm has autofocusing f1 lenses. And Tamron has this new Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A. It’s true innovation at an incredibly affordable price. If I were a Sony a6600 owner, I’d buy one soon.
Mind you, I’m saying this without ever having handled the lens. But we’ve tested a ton of Tamron lenses. In fact, I’d wager that we’ve reviewed the most. Tamron’s quality is usually pretty solid. And their weather sealing is astounding. We’ve done things with their lenses that have made our readers cringe. I mean, how often do you find affordable lenses with their level of weather sealing?
My eventual hope is that Tamron works with Fujifilm and brings it there. That’s the system that I think desperately needs a lens like this. Fujifilm has its great 16-80mm f4. But it’s an f4. A stop more light is well worth it. Of course, the Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A is also not a small lens from its looks. That’s where Fuji has the advantage. But if you use this lens with a camera and a vertical grip, it will probably be a lot more balanced. With the Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A weighing 18.5 oz, it’s heavier than a can of soup.
I wonder why Tamron hasn’t made any fast aperture prime lenses for the Sony FE camera lineup. They’ve got a nice set of f2.8 primes with weather sealing. They’re all small. And they’re focusing quickly. I think the next thing we need is more variety. What about a 40mm f1.8 Di VC USD? Or appeal to Pentax fans and make a 43mm? Pentax, after all, has used many of Tamron’s lenses in their own lineup. I would also personally enjoy seeing a variation of the Sigma 24-35mm f2 made by Tamron for the E mount. I’m sure they could figure out a way to make it smaller and lightweight. And if not at f2, maybe strive for f2.5 zoom lenses.
Overall, I think it’s just imperative to add more variety to the market. And the Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A is surely doing that for us. Better yet, it’s doing it at a very affordable and sustainable price. Still, though, I dream of seeing a higher end Tamron lens lineup. I think they’ve come a long way and improved their product quality quite a lot.