A few days ago, we reported that Tamron’s best lens would be coming to Nikon Z mount — and today, it seems to be a reality. Nikon is finally getting access to one of the most innovative lenses on the market today, and they’re not branding it under the Nikon name. Instead, the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 is coming to Nikon Z mount as the brand announced its development today. We reviewed the lens a while back and loved it. But more importantly, we’ve tested every Tamron lens variant made for Nikon Z mount. With that said, we’re in a unique position to guesstimate how this lens will perform.
The Phoblographer has not only the most real-world lens reviews of any accredited media outlet, but we’ve also reviewed all of Tamron’s lenses and compiled them in a handy guide for you.
Are Tamron Lenses Any Good on Nikon Z Mount?
The only Tamron branded lens to come to Nikon is the 70-300mm. And when we tested it on the Nikon Z9, we felt that the autofocus was behind the bunch. But we also sort of felt that way for Sony E mount in some ways. However, the Nikon re-branded Tamron lenses are different. They’re plenty speedy. That’s because they’re the Nikon 17-28mm f2.8, 28-75mm f2.8, and the 70-180mm f2.8 lenses. And overall, they’re all quite good, even with the Sony copies of that lens.
All of those lenses share Tamron’s unique image quality and the faster autofocus motors. So, too, does the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8.
How Will the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Perform on Nikon Z Mount?
Considering that the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 has an innovative and insanely useful zoom and aperture range, we’re already considering that it’s going to be a hit. It also houses some of the best autofocus motors from the brand as well as durability.
When I previously reviewed this lens, I was really shocked and amazed at how great it was. We gave it an Editor’s Choice award. In fact, I liked it so much that I bought it. That decision was partially motivated by my VSCO, where this photo has gotten me countless numbers of interactions on the platform. Every time I open the app up, there are notifications specifically about this image. It was shot using the Tamron 35-150mm. And that’s not to say that the gear is all that matters. It was a fun idea, and it illustrates a bit more of my creativity that I don’t often get to use in the name of our reviews on the site. Often when the staff and I unleash our creative sides, it doesn’t go over well with people. There are complaints about sharpness and tons of the things that you’d test for in a lab.
The truth is, though, that I felt inspired when using the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 in a way that I typically am not inspired by zoom lenses. This lens is big and heavy. But it’s innovative in so many different ways. If you had to get a single zoom lens for the Nikon Z mount or even for Sony E mount, I’d recommend this one over nearly any other lens.
Should You Get It?
Well, I got one — for Sony E mount, that is. I think that this lens is enough to make you want to get into Nikon Z mount, along with a few other unique lenses for the platform, like their 40mm f2. A lens like this even replaces the need for the Nikon 24-120mm f4 — which is arguably my favorite zoom lens for the system.
Though I should also be very clear. The Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 is a heavy lens. I’ve tried to take it out for fun with no luck because it’s so heavy. Like Sigma lenses, I sometimes feel like I’m working out when I’m shooting with one. I only ever pull this lens out for serious work. And when I do that, it does a terrific job. So if you’re planning on using it for some of the most serious work you’ll ever do, then we think that the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 will be pretty great.
However, we state all this without testing the lens on a Nikon camera body yet. We’ve done extensive tests with it on Sony E mount and even continue to use it these days. Considering how it does there, I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t perform all that well on a Nikon Z mount body.
But of course, when one comes in for review, we’ll be sure to update our review — which, again, you can find right here.