Tamron 17-50mm f/4 Di III VXD Lens | Sony E

The Tamron 17-50mm f/4 Di III VXD Lens is designed to meet the demands of both videography and photography, featuring a versatile focal length range that begins with an ultra-wide 17mm setting. This makes it ideal for capturing expansive landscapes, interior spaces, architectural details, and even for vlogging at arm's length. The lens extends to 50mm, providing a standard field of view that is well-suited for portraiture and closer perspectives of everyday subjects. It also boasts remarkable close-up capabilities, with a minimum focusing distance of 7.5 inches at the wide end and 11.8 inches at the telephoto end, allowing for effective work with nearby subjects. This adaptable range is complemented by a constant f/4 maximum aperture, enhancing portability and making it an excellent choice for a walkaround lens.

The lens is engineered for multimedia applications, featuring a VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor that ensures rapid and silent autofocus. Its internal zoom and internal focus design maintain a consistent length during operation, facilitating intuitive handling and ease of balance when used with a gimbal stabilizer.

Furthermore, the physical construction of the 17-50mm lens includes a moisture-resistant design and a front fluorine coating that simplifies cleaning. It accommodates 67mm filters, consistent with most other Tamron mirrorless lenses, and is compatible with the Tamron Lens Utility software, allowing for precise adjustments to optimize lens performance according to individual preferences.

Optical Performance

The optical design of the 17-50mm f/4 features a total of 15 elements organized into 13 groups. This meticulous configuration includes specialized lens components, such as three Low Dispersion (LD) elements, one Glass Molded Aspherical (GM) element, and two hybrid aspherical elements, which work together to significantly reduce chromatic and other types of aberrations. The lens provides exceptional resolving power throughout the entire frame, ensuring clarity and sharpness, while also allowing for the beautiful bokeh produced by the wide-open f/4 aperture, bringing you closer to achieving the ideal photograph.

High-Precision AF

The autofocus mechanism of the lens employs the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor system. This autofocus drive is characterized by its rapid operational capabilities and achieves remarkable positional precision in increments as small as 0.005mm. With its high-speed and high-precision autofocus, which ranks among the finest in its category, the 17-50mm F4 guarantees that you will capture every moment while on the move or traveling. The lens excels in fast and accurate focusing on dynamic subjects, effectively tracking unpredictable movements, such as those of small children and pets, making it particularly suitable for video recording. Furthermore, the lens operates quietly during autofocus, allowing for its use in sensitive environments, such as school performances and weddings, without concern for disruptive noise.

Minimum Object Distance

The 17-50mm f/4 lens offers an impressive minimum object distance (MOD) of 0.19m (7.5in) and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.6 at the 17mm focal length. At the 50mm setting, the MOD increases to 0.3m (11.8in) with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.8. With a working distance of approximately 5.7cm (2.3in) at the 17mm end, photographers can get remarkably close to their subjects. This feature provides the versatility needed for shooting in confined spaces, such as small rooms or within a camping tent, without the necessity of repositioning. Additionally, it enables the creation of compositions that highlight exquisite bokeh and distinctive angles.

Compact and Lightweight

The 17-50mm f/4 lens has a weight of only 460g (16.2oz) and measures a compact 114.4mm (4.5in) in length, ensuring a well-balanced setup when mounted on a Sony mirrorless camera body. Its fixed barrel length and internal zoom mechanism effectively reduce shifts in the center of gravity during use. This design facilitates easy framing for both still photography and videography, and it allows for seamless balancing when used with a video rig or gimbal stabilizer. Additionally, the highly portable 17-50mm f/4 is constructed with moisture-resistant materials and features a Fluorine Coating on both the front and rear lens surfaces, enhancing its durability in outdoor settings such as trekking and camping, while also simplifying the cleaning process when required.