Tamron today announced the 12-20mm f/2.8 lens, giving Z-mount users another option in the wide angle realm that hasn’t really filled out yet. Tamron specifically is touting the lens for astrophotography and interior photography. This is also a relatively small and light lens, a little longer and heavier than Nikon’s 14-30mm f/4, but still pretty sveldt, particularly considering the f/2.8 aperture. Along with the new lens comes new branding that drops all the Di, VXD, and other letters that used to accompany the lens name, plus a different finish. (Someone at B&H didn’t get the memo, as their banner header and intro article calls it the Di III.) At US$1799, it’s one of Tamron’s pricier lenses in the Z-mount.
This brings Tamron’s Z-mount offerings up to a even dozen. It’s nice to see that the Tamron options are still mostly designing in the cracks of Nikon’s own focal length choices, providing some real choices in the mount.
Meanwhile, Viltrox announced a 26mm f/2.8 that appears remarkably similar to Nikon’s pancake. Yes, there’s some slight difference in the optical element arrangement and charted MTFs, but the similarities are pretty much in your face, including aperture diaphragm, focusing distance, size, and even the “whole lens focus” idea (which Viltrox calls “full-group focusing system”). So which is it? Did Viltrox help Nikon produce the original, or is Viltrox basically cloning the idea? Good question.