GEAR MINI TESTS
TAMRON 20-40MM F/2.8 DI III VXD £880/$699 tamron.eu
Tamron’s 20-40mm has an unusual focal length range for a full-frame zoom. It sits between the 24-70mm ‘standard’ and a popular wide-angle range like 16-35mm. If you already own both – which many do, plus a 70-200mm for the ‘holy trinity’ – then you might see no reason to buy this Tamron. But these other f/2.8 lenses are heavier and pricier. Plus many find a 16mm a bit too wide for certain shots while a 24mm is not wide enough, so you end up carrying two lenses and switching between them. The 20-40mm is a useful range, giving wide views for interiors and landscapes without appearing too distorted. It’s a great length for shooting people close up, too. Add its size, weight and good performance, and it starts to make sense. Shot at the widest settings, performance is good, even wide open at f/2.8. At 40mm corners aren’t so sharp, but remain good enough for most shots. There’s some vignetting and chromatic aberrations, but it’s not too bad. After all, it doesn’t cost over two grand like Sony’s G Master zooms. The AF is speedy and precise. It uses Tamron’s latest VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism which is fast, quiet and accurate. It also focuses pretty close, at 17cm/6.7in at the wide end. Shoot it
PERFECT FIT Ideally sized for mirrorless cameras. When shot wide open (below right), it gives a shallow depth-of-field
wide open up close and you get some pleasing bokeh. Like most lenses made to a budget, there’s no IBIS or AF/MF switch though, and you need to set focus mode via the camera. The 20-40mm also has a USB-C port which enables use of the free Tamron Lens Utility on a computer to customise functions and update the firmware. You can set the focus button to be an AF/MF switch, for example. Or set two focus points and the speed to rack focus between them. This way, you push the focus set button on the lens which then racks focus between the two points. If preferred, you can even choose a more linear focus feel and rotation angle. Like the 28-75mm Tamron we tested recently, this is a fast, light and compact lens. Optical quality is good and it’s priced accessibly. Plus it’s possibly one of the best lenses for general carry-around use – whether you want to be up close or get a lot of the scene in your shot.
SPECIFICATIONS Focal length: 20-40mm Mount: Sony E Image coverage: Full-frame Aperture range: F/2.8-22 Aperture blades: Nine Construction: 12 elements in 11 groups Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 17cm/6.7in
Filter size: 67mm Dimensions (dxl): 74.4x86.5mm/2.9x3.4in Weight: 365g/0.8lb
NEW STYLE A lens that sits between the two traditional
PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 A rapid, intelligently designed and affordable wide-angle zoom
zoom focal lengths is a great idea
Pros: Good AF, weather sealed Cons: No aperture ring or IS
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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