Tamron announced a new full-frame 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens this morning, the first 24-70 f/2.8 with image stabilization. Clearly aimed at professionals and serious amateurs, the lens not only features VC (Vibration Compensation, Tamron’s designation for image-stabilization), but also a USD drive, Tamron’s silent-wave focusing motor system, similar to Canon’s USM.
Optically, Tamron’s professional level lenses have typically been very strong. In this case, the lens contains several special glass elements, including three low-dispersion elements, three aspherical elements, a hybrid aspherical element, and two XR elements. Whether all of this expensive glass will result in top-notch image quality remains to be seen, but if past performance is an indicator, we can have high hopes. Nine rounded blades form the lens’s aperture for smooth bokeh.
Physically, the Tamron lens is shorter but a little wider (4.3″ / 3.5″) than Canon’s current 24-70mm f/2.8 lens (4.9″ / 3.3″), with a significantly larger filter size (82mm vs 77mm). However, the Tamron weighs about 125g less than the current Canon model. Though the lens makes use of a brand new, moving-coil VC system, Tamron does not specify how many stops of stability it can be expected to provide. Recent Canon lenses have claimed approximately 4 stops, but other manufacturers have lagged behind in the 2-3 stop range, so this will be an interesting subject for testing when the lens becomes available. Journalists and event photographers will be pleased to learn that the lens is moisture sealed, making it a little safer to use in inclement weather.
[Update: 4/5/2012]This morning, the Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 was made available for pre-order at Adorama for $1299 in Canon mount (shipping April 26th), $1274 in Nikon mount (shipping June 25th); a very reasonable price for a stabilized lens if the image quality is as good as we usually can expect from Tamron. I suspect that these will sell out quickly. The lens is currently expected in Canon, Nikon, and Sony mounts.
Based on industry rumors, we expect Canon to release it’s own new 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II lens within the next few months, but rumors suggest that it is NOT an image-stabilized lens, though it’s always possible that a second, stabilized model will also be released.
