Tamron develops 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 superzoom for APS-C SLRs

Tamron has announced the development of an all-in-one ‘superzoom’ lens for APS-C SLRs with a huge 18.8x range. The 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro will offer an unusually wide angle view for its class (24-450mm equivalent), while also allowing close-up shooting with 0.34x magnification. It has an ultrasonic-type autofocus motor,  splashproof construction and optical image stabilization (for the Canon- and Nikon-mount versions, but not Sony). Pricing and availability are still to be announced.

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Press Release:

Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO

Tamron is developing a cutting-edge high-power zoom lens, with expanded focal lengths at both wide-angle and telephoto ends of the zoom range, providing a zoom ratio of approximately 18.8X.

A high-performance, high-power zoom lens that delivers focal lengths extending from an unprecedented 16mm at the wide-angle end up to a long-range telephoto 300mm!

Incorporates PZD (Piezo Drive)^*1 and Tamron’s exclusive VC (Vibration Compensation)^*2 system to further enhance the real-world performance of this next-generation “all-round lens”.

February 6, 2014, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. has announced the development of an advanced new all-in-oneTM zoom lens exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size image sensors that provides an amazing 18.8X zoom ratio. The lens sample will be on display at the Tamron booth at the CP+ 2014, which will be held from February 13 to 16 in Yokohama, Japan.

Responding to consumers’ demand for expanded focal lengths both at the wide-angle end of the zoom range and the telephoto end, Tamron has begun developing a completely new all-in-oneTM zoom lens design that provides an impressive focal length range extending from 16mm true wide-angle to 300mm super-telephoto.

Product Highlights

1.  A further expansion of the imaging range. With a minimum focal length of 16mm (35mm film equivalent: 24.8mm) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, and a maximum focal length of 300mm (35mm film equivalent: 465mm), this remarkable new lens provides a zoom ratio of approximately 18.8X.

Responding to requests from consumers who wanted to be able to photograph subjects with a wider viewing angle than is possible with conventional high-power zoom lenses, Tamron has begun developing a unique lens with a minimum focal length of 16mm. At the telephoto end, the maximum focal length has been increased to an impressive 300mm. Users of this new lens can enjoy unprecedented framing flexibility by easily adjusting the angle of view using the convenient zoom ring.

2.  Superior, reliable image quality with a universal lens.

The lens construction features 16 elements in 12 groups. This includes three Molded-Glass Aspherical elements, one Hybrid Aspherical element, two LD (Low Dispersion) elements, one XR (Extra Refractive index) glass element, and one element of UXR (Ultra-Extra Refractive Index) glass, which has greater refractive index than XR.  The full use of specialized glass elements in the design contributes to thorough compensation of optical aberrations. In addition, the use of the latest coating technology for suppressing reflections on lens element surfaces minimizes unwanted flare and ghosting and assures sharp, crisp, high-contrast images.

3.  Using a new design approach to create an ultra-compact lens.

The latest optical technology has been used to provide an expanded zoom range (compared to the B008) at both the wide-angle and telephoto ends, without necessitating the use of an oversized lens body. By employing UXR glass (which helps to reduce the size of the front lens diameter), an optimized layout of the Molded-Glass Aspherical elements, and adopting a 5-lens-group zoom system approach to provide enhanced design flexibility, the new lens embodies the fusion of state-of-the-art optical design, sophisticated mechanical design, and high-precision lens manufacturing technology, thereby attaining a compact size, an unprecedented zoom range, and superior image quality.

4.  A minimum focusing distance of just 0.39 meters supports an extensive range of macro photography capabilities.

The new lens provides a minimum focus distance of 0.39 m over the entire zoom range, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.9. This makes it possible to get right up close to the subject of the photo to enjoy easy, stress-free macro photography.

5.  PZD (Piezo Drive) delivers faster, quieter autofocus action.

The PZD (Piezo Drive)^*1, an advanced standing-wave ultrasonic motor system, delivers faster, quieter, more precise AF action when the autofocus is engaged. There is enhanced support for contrast-detection AF capabilities, and focusing when in live-view mode has been made smoother. The new lens also features full-time manual focus, a function that was not provided by B008, making manual focusing more convenient.

6.  Sharper images with VC (Vibration Compensation)

Tamron’s acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation)^*2 mechanism is incorporated into the new lens.^*3 VC reduces image blur caused by camera shake to deliver significantly sharper images even when shooting handheld at long telephoto settings

7.  Moisture-resistant construction for worry-free outdoor shooting.

Moisture-resistant construction helps prevent moisture from penetrating the lens.

8.  Upgraded cosmetic design.

Tamron has upgraded the cosmetic design and finish of this lens to create a more sophisticated, high-end look in keeping with the demands of discerning DSLR users. Employing a sophisticated linear pattern rubber grip on the zoom and focus rings, and an elegant tungsten-silver name-brand ring, etc., this newly designed model accentuates its visceral presence with understated elegance and class.

^*1 PZD (Piezo Drive) is a standing-wave type ultrasonic motor system developed by Tamron. It delivers outstanding speed and quiet operation in the AF mode. It also provides greater flexibility in design compared with ring-type ultrasonic motors, thus contributing to reduced lens size.

^*2 VC (Vibration Compensation) is Tamron’s proprietary tri-axial image stabilization mechanism.

^*3 The Sony mount model does not include VC, since the bodies of Sony DSLR cameras include built-in image stabilization functionality. The name of the Sony mount model is “16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD MACRO” without the VC designation.

Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro specifications

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Comments

Plus the range makes it an ideal companion to the company’s upcoming 300-3000/5.6-11 super tele and its 4-16/3.5-5.6 ultra wide.

Well if they can pull off a 16mm , why wouldn’t they rather make a decent 16-100 or something?

All these superzooms are rather tiring. ‘Either get a crappy megazoom or deal with prime lenses’ seems to be a message of the day. What happened to good zooms with moderate range and moderate speed? Not pushing the envelope much lately.

I totally agree!!!

Nice. But at f/6.3 max… – do DSLRs even focus?

shh! don’t tell the camera that you have an f/6.3.

My a55 focuses just fine at f/6.3.

Impressive engineering accomplishment. That said, I’d never consider buying or recommend one. What would be much more impressive would be extending the zoom range on an f/2.8 zoom without compromising image quality. Now a 16-105mm f/2.8 — that would be revolutionary.

…and possibly rather heavy..

It would be quite large since you need more internal barrel space to retract the iris at that aperture. Not impossible tjough.

“Super zoom” is USELESS!! I used several of them all with very high CA at corners. They are for amateurs, but not for enthusiasts & professionals. I ended up selling all, and continue with standard zoom & prime lenses.

If you need to shoot wide-open frequently the yes, superzoom lenses are indeed a bad choice. However, those who want to travel light and are willing to stick with f/8 most of the time (and use RAW) can get very decent results with such lenses.

Optical shortcoming like CA and distortion can easily be fixed when converting from RAW, and it’s a completely automatic process if you’re using a RAW conversion tool like DxO Optics Pro which includes built-in profiles for many lenses, including superzoom ones.

Useless maybe for you. I personally won many contests (and not only on DPr) and even have a photo published on N.G. with a Quantaray (copy Sigma) 18-200mm.
A good subject with ok IQ is infinitely better than a boring image with perfect IQ.

Who wants to travel light and willing to stick with f/8 most of the time are “Amateurs”, who almost never use RAW. Also super-zooms are not light enough for travelling purpose IMO.

Teos, an “Amateur” is any user who doesn’t make a living out of a given activity (in this case photography), representing the vast majority of dpreview.com readers and the target audience of this lens. I don’t see where Tamron claimed this lens is intended for professional use (as in “intended for those who do make a living from photography”). Rest assured that amateurs outnumber professionals on this site by a large margin, and that many of them do actually use RAW. A common term for this group is “Enthusiasts” and you’d be surprised how many of them take their hobby very seriously, even if they decide not to carry all their lenses with them when traveling.

As for using f/8 for travel (and street) photography, I suggest you search the web for “f/8-and-be-there”. Aperture control (beyond f/8) doesn’t dictate the quality of the picture nor the capabilities of the photographer.

As for which lenses to carry, I’m going abroad in a couple of weeks (4 day trip to Cambodia) and I’m likely to leave my 17-50/2.8, 20/1.8, 50/1.7, 60/2.0 Macro, 90/2.8 Macro, 100-300/4.0 at home, and only carry my 18-270 and 8mm fish-eye with me. In other trips I select a different combination of lenses, depending on estimated needs. I don’t blindly take my entire “arsenal” everywhere I go. Do I ever miss lenses that I left behind? Sure. But just as frequently my back tells me that I took too much with me. Compromises…

I think than a super -zoom + a light 30 or 50mm f1.7 or 1.8 prime, is a perfect combo for traveling.

For many a good travel lens need not produce publishable results but rather be able to capture everything from the little flower on a path to the great view from the balcony. And it’s nice to be able to zoom in on the exotic bird too. For many, travel pictures are for memories sake and excellent IQ while nice isn’t necessary. If I’m going somewhere where I’m not sure what to expect, my 18-250mm is my carry lens.

We now just a body with EVF/CDAF to attach this onto(I don’t shoot action)… PDAF suck for accuracy, and sucks even more with a superzoom lens. When properly focused, this super lens can be quite sharp.

This should be constant f/1.2, weigh less than 0.5kg, built of titanium and I will buy it if it is not over 200 rupees.

This focal range has to give in to some optical compromises. Handy? Yes. Low distortion & ‘sharp’ ? We’ll see. I would have preferred a 16-180mm (or 15-140mm?) with potentially smaller size & higher IQ for the same price. The 16mm end is the seller on this one, so it should do well.

We know ”Super’ zooms often require chromatic aberration, distortion, vignetting and contrast corrections, and bodies do not internally compensate third party lenses (except for CA, sometimes). So will this lens be convenient? Out in the field absolutely. But the post processing required somewhat cancels out this convenience. My congrats to Tamron for offering this unique product.

You can use third party RAW conversion tools such as DxO Optics Pro to get automatic optical correction for third party lenses. No need to use the camera manufacturer’s software. Granted such corrections increase processing time, but if you’re batch processing it’s far from being an annoyance.

Holy barrel distortion, Batman!

Too bad, Tamron is snubbing the Pentax-K mount again. Given that this lens is splash proof, it makes perfect sense for Pentax users who wants one travel zoom lens because of the affordable weather sealed bodies.

Agreed, mystery to me too.

The 18-270 is available in K-mount the Pentax version is a rebranded Tamron.

Carl, it’s easy to explain. Tamron probably doesn’t think that return on investment is high enough to justify producing this lens in K-mount. Sony A-mount is probably borderline too (Tokina doesn’t make most of its lenses in this mount either, for the same reason).

This COULD have given my DA 16-45, DA 55-300 and Tamron 18-250 cause for concern as an answer for the eternal travel zoom solution!

No mystery, no snub. They only make prodcuts that they think they will make a profit on. Clearly they don’t think they will sell enough K mount lenses to justify the investment.

Kind of expected an M4/3″ option.

Just crop it

… Mount it on a m43 and crop? What?

So slooow, hardly usable. The FF version is so much better.

Hardly usable? Do you mostly shoot handheld at night? If so, then this is for sure not a suitable lens. In daylight you can normally use it at its optimal aperture and still get reasonable shutter speed and low ISO.

As I explained in the other thread, both lenses are equally slow. The focal lengths and f-stops stated on a lens is the actual physical properties of the lens, no matter what sensor size the lens is intended for.
If you want to know how a lens behaves in FF equivalent terms, then you multiply with the crop factor. Both lenses are true f3.5-6.3 lenses, and on APS-C cameras (crop factor 1.5x) both lenses behave as an f/5.3-9.5 lens would do on a FF camera.

“both lenses behave as an f/5.3-9.5 lens would do on a FF camera.”

In terms of DOF maybe, but not in terms of exposure, they don’t.

How about a stabilized 16-85mm f/4? Anyone… Tokina?

Hm, I wonder why people who are looking für the best quality are buying a dslr and add such a superzoomlense which lowers the picquality to an just very average level?!

Far to much glass.

I tried an 18-270 Tamron and 18-200 Sigma and sold it. The Tamron shows lots of faults (CA, fringing, vigneting) and was very soft on the long end so that I did not use it above 200mm. Only between 24 and 150mm it looks quite ok, but not outstanding.

I prefer an 17-70/50 sigma or maybe an 16-85 VR.

There are plenty of use for this kind of lens, but definitely has it’s limitations. This can be convenient solution at times, especially for people who shoot mostly stopped down.

If you *really* can’t think why at least some people, for at least some of the time, want the features of a DSLR and the convenience of a zoom lens like this, then… you’re just not capable of thinking.

FYI it’s possible to change lenses on a DSLR. Those who want this lens don’t have to permanently attach it to their body. That’s the whole point of an interchangeable lens body. Want a huge zoom range but give up on a little bit of IQ, mount this. Want high quality but give up on zoom flexibility, mount a prime. No one ever said ultrazooms have prime level IQ. It’s all compromise.

hmmm what about VC for sony’s a7 and a7r?

While Sigma are busy making super fast zoom lenses Tamron are giving us superzooms…

get as lazy as you can , and kill your creativity ! just buy this…

On the contrary – combined with changing the photographer’s distance from the subject, this lens provides unrivaled control over perspective. If you think a zoom lens rids you from using your feet only because you can get the intended magnification without moving, you need to think again.

If they can keep the price down and optical quality’s decent, I’ll buy one.

start making 16-35 F1.8 zoom with VC……

Franz just said exactly what I was thinking. Sometimes one just needs a light travel zoom with a ridiculous range and preferably good close-focus capabilities, leaving the serious lenses at home.

I wish they would also develop such a lens equivalent for micro four thirds: 12-225mm would be nice

They are heralding sensational, I am waiting for the first tests

One zoom to rule them all!
Very impressive. Finally a 24mm eq. Superzoom
🙂

16-300?

that’s some pretty incredible range

If this is really sharper than the 18-270, it could be a hit.

It’ll be a hit regardless.

And BTW, the 18-270 is already a capable lens. Just follow the f/8-and-be-there rule and you’ll get very decent results.

Nice development, finally a follow up on Nikon’s 18-300mm; One thing I missed, does it have a zoom lock?

The 16-300mm will have a zoom lock, yes.

Looks impressive. A great deal of flexibility in a relatively compact package. Wonder what the optical quality will be like.