Ahead of the Japanese trade show CP+, Tamron has announced two more mega-zoom lenses, the 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD (Model A010) and the 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO (Model B016). The lenses follow the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 announced in late 2013. The two new lenses feature Tamron's Vibration Compensation and a PZD (Piezo Drive) which will supposedly deliver faster, quieter autofocus. Both lenses also look to have dropped the gold ring of older Tamron lenses, keeping a flat black look that we saw with the 150-600mm.
The Piezo drive looks to be another feature Tamron will be adding to their lenses, much like the wildly popular Vibration Compensation which blows all other image stabilizers out of the water.Tamron describes the PZD (Piezo Drive) as such:
Ultrasonic motors are classified into two types depending on how the energy used to move the drive is generated: traveling-wave motors and standing-wave motors. Traveling-wave motors include the ring-type ultrasonic motor that has been adopted for the 70-300mm F/4-5.6 VC USD (Model A005) and other lenses. The PZD (Piezo Drive) adopted for the 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 VC PZD (Model B008) and the new Model B016 is classified as a standing-wave ultrasonic motor system. The standing-wave ultrasonic motor system utilizes ultrasonic-frequency voltage to extend and turn the piezoelectric (piezoceramic) element, which causes the entire element to vibrate in an "S" pattern known as a standing-wave motion. The vibration of the element generates an elliptic motion at the metal tip, which is attached to the tip of the piezoelectric element in contact with the rotor. Friction of the metal tip with the rotor caused by this elliptic motion turns the rotor to focus the lens. Innovations to reduce the number of parts and simplify operation also contributed to the lens's reduced size and weight.
Neither pricing nor a release date for either lens was announced.
For more on the two lenses' builds and specs, check out the press releases on Tamron.com.
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16-300
Makes me curious about optical distortion on both ends. Anyway LR takes care of that.
I agree, optical quality is always a concern with such massive zoom ranges and variable apertures.
I see it as like an extended kit lens.
Wow...you know I'm so conflicted. The range is so incredibly useful and if you can only take one lens for leisure...this seems like a prime candidate. But I'm conflicted because I have strong doubts about it's performance, zooms aren't even across the range and this is one serious range.
That said I know one guy that would buy this if he didn't get one already, Jay Maisel. He said on "A Day with Jay Maisel" for Kelby training, that if they ever made one he'd be all over it. Except he thought it'd be Nikon that would produce one.