Tamron Develops High Speed Zoom Lens for Full-Frame SLRs

Tamron, a manufacturer of camera lenses and other optical equipment, has announced the development of the SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (Model A007). It's a high-speed standard zoom lens made for full-frame SLR cameras that's equipped with image stabilization and an ultrasonic silent drive.

The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a minimum aperture of f/22. It employs VC (vibration compensation), Tamron's proprietary image stabilization system, to reduce blur when shooting in low-light conditions with a slow shutter speed. It consists of 17 elements in 12 groups and uses specialized high-grade glass in its three low dispersion elements - three glass molded aspherical lenses, one hybrid aspherical lens and two extra refractive index glasses.

The lens uses a nine-blade, rounded diaphragm for soft blur effects. Also, the lens features USD (ultrasonic silent drive) to power a speedy auto focus drive together with a continuous manual mechanism. Moisture-resistant construction helps prevent water from penetrating the lens. While the lens is designed for the full-frame customer, it can also be used with cameras with smaller, APS-C sensors.

The lens will be developed for Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the Sony version does not include image stabilization). Neither a release date nor a suggested price have been announced. For additional information see Tamron's release.