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Tamron Announces Full Frame Ultra Wide Zoom
22 January 2015
Tamron has announced its Model A012, a full-frame ultra-wide f2.8 zoom. The company claims the $1,200 zoom is "the world's first f2.8 high-speed standard zoom lens to include image stabilization."
FEATURES
Highlights of the new wide angle zoom include:
- An XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) lens element and eBAND Coating for outstanding detail and performance from the center to the edges of the frame over the entire zoom range.
- Superior, class leading imaging performance using an innovative XGM lens element
- Enhanced sharpness with exclusive VC image stabilization when shooting handheld in low light or at night
- eBAND Coating for superior anti-reflection properties
- 15-30mm zoom covers both ultra-wide and semi-wide-angle focal lengths
- "Fascinating background bokeh" throughout the wide-angle range due to its fast constant f2.8 aperture
- Proven fluorine coating on the front element
- Flexible, high-performance focusing with USD
- Lens hood designed to prevent light from striking lens at all focal lengths
- Double-hood structure provides additional strength
- SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron included
- Vibration Compensation
- The Ultrasonic Motor
- eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating
SPECIFICATIONS
The full list of specifications, subject to change, includes:
SPECIFICATIONS Model A012 Focal Length 15-30mm Maximum Aperture f2.8 Angle of view
(diagonal)110 degrees 32' ~ 71 degrees 35' (full frame)
85 degrees 52' ~ 49 degrees 54' (APS-C)Lens Construction 18 elements in 13 groups Minimum Focus Distance 11 in. (0.28m) Maximum Magnification Ratio 1:5 Filter Size n/a Maximum Diameter 98.4mm Length For Canon 5.7in. (145mm)
For Nikon 5.6in. (142.5mm)Weight 38.8 oz. (1,100g) No. of Diaphragm Blades 9 (circular diaphragm) Minimum Aperture f22 Standard Accessories Lens caps (push-on front & rear) Compatible Mounts Canon, Nikon, Sony PRICE, AVAILABILITY
The Tamrom 15-30mm f2.8 zoom is available for $1,199 from Adorama with free expedited shipping in three mounts: Canon, Nikon and Sony.
For more information and explanations of the technical features see the news release below.
Tamron Announces The Release Of The World's First Full Frame, f2.8 Ultra-Wide-Angle Zoom Lens With Image Stabilization SP 15-30Mm F2.8 DI VC USD
Tamron's state-of-the-art lens design features an XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) lens element and eBAND Coating for outstanding detail and performance from the center to the edges of the frame over the entire zoom range.
SAITAMA, Japan. -- Tamron Co., Ltd. has announced the release of a groundbreaking f2.8 ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame dSLR cameras.
Since 2012, Tamron has been expanding its lineup of interchangeable lenses for full-frame dSLR cameras. The Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD (Model A007) was the world's first f2.8 high-speed standard zoom lens to include image stabilization, followed by the development of the unique SP 70-200mm f2.8 Di VC USD (Model A009), SP 90mm f2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD (Model f004) and SP 150-600mm f5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A011) lenses, all of which have been highly acclaimed among the photo enthusiasts around the globe. Now, we have developed SP 15-30mm f2.8 Di VC USD (Model A012) to expand the world of imaging possibilities in the wide-angle range.
Product Highlights
Superior, class leading imaging performance using an innovative XGM lens element
With an optical construction consisting of 18 elements in 13 groups, including, for the first time, an XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) lens element placed in the front group and several Molded-Glass Aspherical elements and LD (Low Dispersion) elements used throughout the optical system, aberrations such as geometrical distortion and lateral color are efficiently corrected enabling the zoom lens to deliver outstanding image quality throughout its entire zoom range from corner to corner.
Enhanced sharpness with exclusive VC image stabilization when shooting handheld in low light or at night
In response to popular demand, Tamron has created the world's first f2.8 ultra-wide-angle zoom lens with VC (Vibration Compensation)*4. The VC allows shooting at slow shutter speeds and in low light conditions and effectively compensates for minor camera shake, whilst maintaining class leading optimal performance.
eBAND Coating provides superior anti-reflection properties
In addition to further optimizing Tamron's acclaimed BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating, the eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating has also been employed in this lens. This combination offers superior anti-reflection properties especially important in ultra-wide-angle lenses which are particularly susceptible to flare and ghosting due to their wide-angle of view and provides superior quality and crystal-clear images by minimizing unwanted light reaching the sensor.
15-30mm zoom covers both ultra-wide and semi-wide-angle focal lengths
At its ultra-wide-angle settings this lens can capture, in a single photograph, broad landscapes that cannot be taken in fully by the human eye. At its semi-wide-angle focal lengths, it's ideal for travel and street photography. In short, this unique lens utilizes the zoom function to provide maximum shooting flexibility with a wide range of subjects.
Fascinating background "bokeh" throughout the wide-angle range due to its fast constant f2.8 aperture
Utilizing its shallow depth of field at f2.8, it enables users to capture beautiful bokeh effects even at wide coverage angles. Its advanced optical formula and 9-bladed circular diaphragm are designed with defocused photography in mind -- perfect for creating images where subjects stand out from their natural, blended backgrounds.
The Sony mount version does not include VC since Sony dSLR bodies incorporate built-in image stabilization functionality. The name of the Sony mount model is SP 15-30mm f2.8 Di USD without the VC designation.
Proven fluorine coating utilizing Tamron's industrial lens expertise is used on the front element
Fluorine coating, with an established track record in Tamron's industrial lenses, such as those used in automotive cameras, has been applied to the front element. It repels water and dirt and makes it easier to remove smudges.
Flexible, high-performance focusing with USD
USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive)*5 delivers high torque, high precision and virtually silent autofocus action. A full-time manual focus mechanism permits fine focus adjustments instantly without needing to exit AF mode.
Lens hood designed to prevent light from striking lens at all focal lengths
This unique lens hood provides effective shading of the front lens surface over the entire zoom range to minimize flare. It utilizes the unique characteristics of the optical system in which the front lens group recedes as you zoom in from 15mm to 30mm.
Double-hood structure provides additional strength
A double-hood structure has been incorporated into the lens design to improve the durability of the zoom mechanism.
Comes with "SILKYPIX Developer Studio for Tamron" Raw image processing software customized for Tamron 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, distortion, peripheral light fall-off), based on the optical data. Used in tandem with Tamron's SP series lenses -- renowned for their crisp, high-resolution imaging -- this advanced technology efficiently produces images that meet photographers' most exacting demands.
Detailed Feature Explanation
VC (Vibration Compensation)
VC is Tamron's proprietary image stabilization system. Tamron's VC employs a three-coil system, whereby three driving coils activate the shake-compensating VC lens group electromagnetically via three ceramic ball bearings. The VC lens elements are held in place only by contact with the ceramic ball bearings, achieving smooth movement with little friction. And since the VC mechanism is moved in parallel using only the motorized control, the mechanical structure has been simplified, enabling the development of more compact lenses.
The Ultrasonic Motor
In the ultrasonic motor, a piezoelectric element arranged in a ring formation generates ultrasonic vibrations in a metallic ring stator and this vibration energy is used to rotate a metallic ring rotor that is attached to the stator. The rotation energy is in turn transferred from the metallic ring rotor to operate the focusing mechanism of the lens.
eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating
eBAND Coating, developed by Tamron, is a new coating technique that radically improves anti-reflection properties. A nano-structured layer (1nm = 1/1000,000mm), with dimensions smaller than the wavelengths of visible rays of light, is deployed on top of multiple coating layers to maximize light transmission efficiency.
Reflections occur at the interface between the lens and the air because of the difference in refractive indices of the two substances. The nano-structure of the eBAND Coating makes possible an extremely low refractive index by minimizing the differential with that of air while actively inducing air to its own structure, thus significantly suppressing the extent and degree of reflections.
In addition, the total anti-reflection efficiency at the lens surface is further improved by means of integrating the conventional coating technique based on an active utilization of the "interference of light" principle, attenuating the level of reflections by overlaying reflected light on the coating front surface and that of the back side with its phase shifted, thus increasing the net transmissivity.
As a hybrid technology that integrates the newly developed nano-structured layer with an extremely low refractive index and conventional multiple-layer coatings, the eBAND Coating provides superb anti-reflection performance, delivering crisp, razor sharp images and eliminating the flare and ghosting that can tangibly damage image quality to a remarkable degree.