GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE
TAMRON 20-40MM F/2.8 DI III VXD £879/$699 transcontinenta.co.uk If you like your standard zoom to be on the wide side, ideal for vlogging or for just squeezing more into the frame, Tamron has the answer. The 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD fits Sony E-mount full-frame cameras and crosses over between the 24-70mm standard zoom and the ever-popular wide-angle zoom range such as the 16-35mm. But these other f/2.8 lenses are significantly more cumbersome and expensive than this handy Tamron. The 20-40mm is a useful range, giving a wide view for interiors and landscapes without appearing too distorted. It’s a very good length for vloggers or filming people close-up. Added to that, it’s compact, lightweight, has decent optical performance and just makes a lot of sense. The Tamron focuses as close as 17cm/6.7in at the wide end. Shoot it wide open, close up and you get some pleasing bokeh. Like most lenses made to a budget, there is no built-in image stabilisation or AF/ MF switch, so you set focus mode via the camera.
Pros: Good AF, weather sealed Cons: No aperture ring
SONY FE 24-70MM F/2.8 GM II £2099/$2298 sony.com
TAMRON 35-150MM F/2-2.8 DI III VXD From £1799/$1899 transcontinenta.co.uk One of the most interesting lenses in recent years has been Tamron’s 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, which offers a wide zoom range with a ridiculously fast f/2 maximum aperture at the wide end. It was the first wide-ranging zoom with an f/2 aperture for the most popular mount – full-frame Sony E. It now also comes in Nikon Z mount. At 1165g/2.57lb in weight and 89x158mm/3.5x6.2in in size with an 82mm filter thread, it is no featherlight optic. It’s solidly built and weather sealed, though. And it can replace more than a few optics in your kitbag, so it’s not too hefty in terms of total weight to be carried. At the wide end, the lens is a 35mm f/2, which closes down to around f/2.5 at 60mm and then f/2.8 from 85mm all the way to 150mm. Its fast aperture means it’s good for low light – even if there is no optical image stabilisation.
The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is the fastest and lightest standard zoom for your full-frame Sony E-mount camera, the best we have ever tested. The new GM II takes the original Mark I version and improves it in every way. It’s lighter, smaller, performs slightly better in terms of focus breathing and focus shift, has a more video-friendly aperture ring that can be de-clicked and focuses quicker. It also supports focus breathing compensation for some of the latest mirrorless Sony cameras like the A7 V. AF motors are quieter and faster, while the manual focus feel is more linear and natural, too. Even the lens hood has been improved, with a cut-out window to easily adjust ND filters or polarisers without removing the filter. However, if you already own the Mark I version, you’ll have to value the smaller size and weight because the optical performance is only marginally better.
Pros: The best of the best AF lenses Cons: Pricey, not the fastest aperture now
Pros: Covers a huge range of focal lengths Cons: Not the speediest AF
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