Tamron has officially announced their new 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD telephoto zoom lens for Sony full-frame E-mount.
According to Tamron the lens is the world’s smallest and lightest telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.
Weighing in at just 545g (19.2 oz), it has a diameter of 77mm and a length of 148mm (5.8 in).
The price tag also matches its size at just $549.00 / £649.99 / €715. This is half of the price of the Sony FE 70-300 F4.5-5.6 G OSS lens.
The lens is constructed of 15 elements in 10 groups, with an LD (Low Dispersion) lens element precisely arranged to suppress axial chromatic and other aberrations that are likely to happen with telephoto zoom lenses. Seals are located at the lens mount area and other critical locations to help keep moisture at bay.
The RXD stepping motor unit is exceptionally quiet and incorporates a sensor that accurately detects the position of the lens while the RXD motor unit delivers optimized AF control.
The lens shares the same 67mm filter thread size as Tamron’s other E-mount lenses, so you can easily share filters and save a small fortune! Tamron’s line-up of lenses with a 67mm filter thread for full-frame cameras so far includes:
- 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A036)
- 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046)
- 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F051)
- 35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F053)
- 20mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F050)
- 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056)
- 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (Model A071)
Just like Tamron’s other lenses for Sony E-mount there is no image stabilization in the lens itself, instead leaving in-camera stabilization (IBIS) to do the job.
Leaving out stabilization helps Tamron to keep the size, weight and likely the cost down, but in a 300mm lens this is probably starting to push the limits of what people will be able to handhold unless very fast shutter speeds are used.
The Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD lens is already available to pre-order from some stores and will start shipping at the end of October.
Does your comment about handholding at 300mm also apply to IBIS bodies like the a6600 and A9II?
You will get a little more stabilization from bodies with IBIS but this is never usually as good as the stabilization you’ll find built into the lenses.