The Ultimate Travel Lens? Tamron Unveils 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD

The Tamron company has announced an upgrade to its popular telephoto zoom lens, the SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 A022E, adding Sony E-mount compatibility and a constant maximum aperture of f/4.5 throughout the zoom range of 50–400mm. The new lens also boasts vibration compensation to minimize blur when shooting handheld in low light situations as well as moisture and dust resistance, two qualities that are rare among current digital SLR lenses.

Tamron recently announced the development of a coming zoom lens for Sony’s full-frame E-mount camera systems. The 50–400mm F4.5–6.3 Di III VC VXD lens is scheduled to be available in ‘Fall 2022,’ but due to the current global health crisis, the release date and supply could be affected.

The manufacturer has not disclosed the optical construction of the lens, but says that high image quality is achieved through an effective arrangement of special lens elements. In the lens, the autofocus is driven by the Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive (VXD) linear motor. To compensate for the vibration in the lens, Tamron uses their proprietary image stabilization system.

A 50mm lens with a 9.8 (25cm) minimum focusing distance and a magnification ratio of 1:2 has a front filter thread of 67mm, a fluorine coating on the front-most element, and a moisture-resistant construction. The lens features a zoom lock switch, a VC mode switch, a custom switch for preset shooting modes with three different settings, and a new focus limiter function thanks to Tamron’s Lens Utility program.

In addition to an optional tripod mount, Tamron says the ring rotation arc for the full focal length range is just 75 degrees for rapid zooming with minimal movement.

As Tamron does not specify a price for this lens, we will have to wait for additional updates to find out how much this 50–400mm F4.5–6.3 Di III VC VXD lens for Sony E-mount cameras will cost.