Tamron to develop 150-600mm F5-6.3 ultra-telephoto zoom

Tamron has announced the development of a 150-600mm F5-6.3 zoom lens for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras. It will feature 20 elements in 13 groups and have a minimum focus distance of 2.7m. Tamron will also include VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) technologies. The lens will be developed for Canon, Nikon, and Sony mounts. Pricing and availability are still to be announced. 

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Press Release:

Tamron to develop 150-600mm ultra-telephoto zoom 

Cutting-edge eBAND Coating*¹ and three LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements deliver superior imaging performance, while the latest built-in VC (Vibration Compensation)*² system broadens users’ horizons in achieving sharper handheld photographs.

November 7, 2013, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono), a leading manufacturer of precision optics, has announced the development of an innovative ultra-telephoto zoom lens with a focal length range of 150mm to 600mm for full-frame and APS-C format DSLR cameras. The lens sample will be on display in showcase at the Tamron booth at the Salon de la Photo 2013 which will be held from November 7 to 11 in Paris, France. 

This all-new ultra-telephoto zoom lens features VC (Vibration Compensation)*² image stabilization, speedy, precise USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive)*³, state-of-the-art eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating*¹, which significantly reduces the unwanted light reflections that cause flare and ghosting, and, in addition a sophisticated and stylish new external finish.

Its 4x ultra-telephoto zoom capabilities, with a focal length range from 150mm to 600mm, enhance the creative potential of telephoto photography, a captivating feature for all photographers, particularly nature, wildlife, and sports shooters. 

Prices and availability: TBA

Product Highlights

1. 4x ultra-telephoto zoom lens with a focal length range of 150mm to 600mm

The focal length range of this lens was extended by 50mm on the wide-angle side and 100mm on the telephoto side compared to the existing model (Model A08), making it possible to take even more striking photographs of birds, wildlife, sports, and other distant subjects. Mounted on APS-C DSLR cameras, it has a stunning equivalent focal length range of 233mm to 930mm, almost to 1000mm.

2. World class image quality

Employing 20 elements in 13 groups and boasting an advanced optical design, it delivers a superior balance of resolution and contrast for sharp, clear images. The front group contains three LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements (two in the first group, one in the third) for enhanced optical correction effectiveness, enabling the lens to thoroughly compensate for on-axis aberrations at the telephoto end.

The lens also adopts eBAND Coating*¹, developed from state-of-the-art coating technologies, and conventional BBAR(Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating to greatly suppress ghosting and flare even when shooting under adverse lighting conditions.

3. Achieves a 600mm focal length in a compact easy-to-handle package

Ingenious optical design features minimize the movement of lens groups within the lens when zooming. This reduces the amount of barrel extension needed to cover the complete focusing range, making the entire lens more compact.

4. Beautiful background blur effects 

Adopting a 9 blade circular diaphragm enables users to create beautiful background blur effects (bokeh), which provide even greater potential for creative expression. This circular diaphragm retains a nearly circular shape even at two stops down from its maximum aperture.

5. VC (Vibration Compensation)*² 

Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization system uses a three-coil system, delivering significantly sharper images and creating greater opportunities for handheld ultra-telephoto photography. 

6. Comfortable autofocus

Tamron’s new SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD features a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) ultrasonic motor drive*³ for swift and accurate AF response, it delivers high torque, very fast response times, and very low noise. The full-time manual focus mechanism allows users to make fine manual focus adjustments at any time even when AF is engaged.

7. New elegant, high-class external finish

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 full-frame DSLR users.

Employing a sophisticated linear pattern rubber grip on the zoom and focus rings and an attractive and stylish tungsten silver name-brand ring, this newly designed model accentuates its visceral presence with understated elegance and class.

8. Easy-to-use tripod mount

The tripod mount has been completely redesigned to provide superior stability, durability, ease of use, and portability.

9. Comes with “SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron”, RAW image development processing software for Tamron’s SP lenses

The SILKYPIX Developer Studio software can develop high-quality images from RAW data, incorporating adjustments that can express the personal style and taste of the photographer. 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 (chromatic aberrations of magnification, distortion, peripheral light fall-off), based on the optical data. Used in tandem with Tamron’s SP series lenses – renowned for their high-depiction capability – this advanced technology efficiently produces images that meet photographers’ most exacting demands.

*1 The eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating is a new nanotechnology-based coating technique developed by Tamron to reduce unwanted reflection. 
*2 VC (Vibration Compensation) is Tamron’s proprietary image stabilization mechanism.
*3 USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) is Tamron’s proprietary ring-type ultrasonic motor. 

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Specifications

Comments

I do not understand why Tamron does not produce more new lens for Pentax. I wish I knew ….I’m sorry for my friends that use Pentax!

Look at the market share of pentax.

Pentax don’t want Tamron to do so.

third party lens manufacturers? no maker likes them.

I bet that this doesn’t come in Pentax mount because it will be released later as a DA lens.

Pentax only has a 100-400 something on the roadmap.

nice. does this have a AF focus limiter?

that was the first question into my mind to. it seems it’s not in the specifications. but if i look into this image it’s seems to have 3 switches … so maybe it has
http://www.ephotozine.com/articles/tamron-sp-150-600mm-ultra-telephoto-zoom-lens-23366/images/Tamron_SP150-600mm_Di_VC_USD_blue.jpg

This is an interesting news. Tamron and sigma give a good run for the money to the big name companies such canikon. If this lens is as good as their 70-300 VC USD which I have no doubts about, then it will find lot of new happy owners including myself. Of course the price has to be right. The aperture is only 1/3 step slower than usual 5.6 so it is irrelevant to me.

Hopefully this will bring some movement into the long tele zoom market, if it achieves similar quality as the Tamron 70-300 VC. In Canon land, nothing really beats the aging 100-400 L so far, the cheaper Sigmas being worse and heavier.

VC on Tamrons have proven itself great – it’ll be interesting to see how it fares on this beast. Now Tamron – how about prime? Step up your game a bit 😉

Will it be better than the Sigma 150-500? (which is not bad for what it is and how much it cost) 500-600mm difference is not huge…

It depends on the camera body. Considering the factor of the APS-C the comparison becomes:
Sigma 150-500mm Full Frame = 150-500mm
Sigma 150-500mm APS-C = 225-750
Tamron 150-600mm Full Frame = 150-600mm
Tamron 150-600mm APS-C = 225-900
Difference: Sigma-Tamron Full Frame = 100mm
Difference: Sigma-Tamron APS-C = 150mm
…and 150mm…it’s not so few, I suppose.
However interesting lens remains to be seen the price for a better comparison.

No need to introduce all that complexity. The subject is 20% larger with the 600 mm lens, that’s all there is to it.

Can we have an M4/3s version for LOLs. 😀

How will this compare (on a Canon) to a Canon 100-400 f/4 with a 1.4x tele-convertor? Seems quite a lot bigger and heavier for a very similar spec, or am I missing something?

The Canon 100-400 is f5.6 at 400 so with a 1.4x it becomes f8. Compared to the Canon 200-400 f4 with built-in 1.4x its a lot lighter and only slightly slower. Will be interesting to see what the quality is like.

Finally, i have been waiting years for a lens like that. An affordable, lightweight 600mm Zoom.

“superior balance of resolution and contrast” = compromise both? Bad choice of words for marketing even if it’s technically correct…

Oh, no Pentax mount…..Amen.

I’m sorry for my friends Pentax! 🙁

If the VC is the same quality as on the 70-300 I want it.

Looks like a catch 22 lens to me. If it is as good as a want it to be to go with my 5Diii it will be too expensive for me. If its affordable it won’t be good enough. I live in hope.

Whoa!

That’s gonna be a big ol’ boy.

If they include VC in the Sony-Alpha mount I might be interested. If they go cheap ala Sigma and skip it, no thanks!

When will companies learn that removing features and capabilities while keeping the price the same is hardly a way to entice customers?

The announcement says the A-mount version won’t have VC which is disappointing. However I find steady shot works fairly well with the 200-500 on an A65 down to about 1/100 sec.

The issue isnt that steady shot isn’t that great as lens based IS for telephoto lenses (most of the time steady shot can easily match lens based IS).

However the issue is that Sony people pay the same price as Canon/Nikon users for the lens but Tamron is saving money by removing the VC but charging Sony users the same.

Also lens IS for telephoto lenses makes sense in order to have a stabilized viewfinder even if the effectiveness of IS is more or less the same.

I have the Sigma 150-500mm in the Sony mount and it Has OS. I use lens OS when shooting at the tele end and Camera SS when at 150-300mm. The Lens OS is better.

I think the idea of it being a zoom to 600mm. I’d be happy with it starting at 200 or even 300, but i think that doesn’t change the lens design much.

All the pentax users crying out for long lenses miss out as do m4/3. Is it that hard to change mounts for Tamron to make it profitable?

Why do lenses still contain so many elements? I thought the introduction of cheap aspherics would eliminate the slew of spherical elements in these lenses? I don’t care how good the coatings are , 20 elements is crazy. Apochromatic telescopes produce a flat field image (fixed focal length) with four elements. I can’t believe 16 more is needed for a zoom.

You’re right! They only put them in there to confuse you 🙂

Well, maybe they have so many elements since users might (golly gosh!) expect good IQ from them closer than 20km? And maybe they don’t want to carry around long tubes?

It will focus on Canon crop bodies even at F6.3 by telling the camera that it is F5.6

In that case I need to start saving. 🙂

EOS M2 should be able to focus fast.

looking from the other side, if anyone want to use a third-party super tele lens, he’d better choose Nikon 24MP for higher resolution.

It will focus on Canon crop bodies at f/6.3 w/o needing to tell the camera it is f/5.6.

yes
and the AF speed will be only suitable for static objects.

Great that means you have used this lens to make such a comment. So what else are your findings ?

Take a look at Tamrons USD lenses. They’re far form slow.

Now make one for m43, please.

As someone shooting with Canon crop bodies I really would have appreciated f/5.6 at tele end – even at the price of somewhat shorter max length. Otherwise…

Err.. well, don’t zoom past f/5.6? And then you get the rest of the zoom range slightly darker, as a bonus.

The lens will autofocus, as does other F/6.3 lenses, thanks to a little trickery in reporting the aperture.

Good news but what about a 18-800 mm lens……8-))

A lovely thought, but straight away such a lens would have either of these problems; an unreasonably slow aperture at 800mm e.g. f/16, or it would be unreasonably large and heavy. and it would probably cost you more than a few medium formats.

it’s going to be a 16-300 😉

I think he was joking James (18-800)