A fast Wide angle zoom lens for full-frame DSLR cameras with a fast f/2.8 aperture and VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization. The lens has an ultrasonic focusing motor, ‘eBAND’ and fluorine coatings, and a 9-blade diaphragm. The lens will be available for Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts.
Highlights
Fast maximum aperture of F/2.8
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It’s large F/2.8 aperture enables users to capture the softened foreground or background dramatically emphasizing the subject, resulting in beautiful bokeh effects at all focal lengths. It performs well in low-light situations and provides a shallow depth of field for selective focus. With a minimum focusing distance of 0.28m over its entire focal-length range, it can capture wide-macro effects.
XGM and LD Glass Elements
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XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) element placed at the front group and several LD(Low Dispersion) elements in the system, reduce chromatic aberrations and help ensure clear and sharp imagery, enabling the zoom lens to deliver outstanding image quality throughout the entire range from corner to corner.
Vibration Compensation
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Tamron’s proprietary image stabilization mechanism – Tamron has created the world’s first F/2.8 ultra-wideangle zoom lens with VC(Vibration Compensation) reduces the effects of camera shake to deliver sharp images in low light and at slower shutter speeds, whilst maintaining class leading optimal performance. It is a newly developed three coil system that employs a lighter moving coil mechanism which contributes to its improved performance and overall compact design.
eBAND and BBAR Coatings
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Tamronʼs proprietary eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating coupled with it’s acclaimed BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coating offer superior anti-reflection properties which is more important in ultra-wide angle lenses as they are particularly susceptible to flare and ghosting due to their wide angle of view. Hence, providing superior quality and crystal-clear images with uniform colors.
Fluorine Coating on Front Element
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It is not practical to deploy a protective filter because of it’s large diameter and the prominent convex profile of the front element. Hence, a new fluorine coating is applied to the front element, which does a pretty excellent job in repelling water or any type of dirt, while making it easier to remove smudges and finger prints.
Ultrasonic Silent Drive AF System
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USD(Ultrasonic Silent Drive) autofocus motor provides high torque, high precision, fast response speed with least amount of lag time and quiet autofocus action, which benefits both still and video applications. A full-time manual focus mechanism enables fine focus adjustments instantly without exiting from the AF mode.
Built-In Lens Hood
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A unique built-in double lens hood designed for added strength, helps block out unwanted light, preventing lens flare, as well as protecting the lens’s front element. The front lens group recedes as you zoom in from 15 mm to 30 mm.
SILKYPIX Developer Studio Software
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The SILKYPIX Developer Studio software provides feature to generate high-quality images from RAW data, while performing adjustments to reflect a personal style. These include white balance, color, sharpness, and the tonal curves recorded by digital cameras.
The SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron provides a range of functions, in addition to the basic adjustment capabilities, such as correcting aberrations (lateral color, distortion, relative illumination fall-off) referring to the optical design data.
Verdict
This lens offers the best of both worlds, as its wide aperture and VC will help everyone. Outdoor photographers will love it for it’s moisture-resistant construction and fluorine coating on the front element that repels water and dirt and makes it easy to clean smudges and finger prints.
The lens will retail for $1199, which is an attractive price for a fast, wide-angle zoom for full-frame, especially given its inclusion of Tamron’s VC image stabilization.
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