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Four years after the launch of the Sony and Fujifilm versions, Tamron has released the 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III‑A VC VXD for Canon RF and Nikon Z mirrorless shooters. If you prefer packing light but having the flexibility to photograph everything from wide street scenes to distant wildlife, this is the Swiss-Army Knife of APS-C mirrorless lenses.
An All-In-One-Lens
When it was launched a handful of years ago, the Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens was quite a revelation. It was the world’s first lens to deliver a 16.6x zoom ratio on an APS‑C mirrorless mount. Stretching from 18mm at the wide end all the way to 300mm telephoto, it delivered a 27mm to a whopping 450mm (on Nikon) and nearly 29mm to 480mm (on Canon) full-frame equivalent focal range. That’s pretty convincing for a lens of this size, weight, and price point. Portraits, wildlife, sports, landscapes, travel shots, and even macro photos were possible for Fujifilm and Sony E-mount mirrorless camera owners back then. Your first question could be why it took Tamron this long to bring this out to more mounts. I would argue that the aforementioned brands had a lot more penetration in the mirrorless segment earlier, and now Canon and Nikon have definitely risen among the ranks here.
We tested the Sony and Fujifilm variants back then and reported them as “kit lenses on steroids.”
Same Guts, Familiar Magic
The optical formula looks to be unchanged in the version for these two new mounts. The Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A still comes with 19 lens elements in 15 groups. The minimum object distance is still 0.15m / 5.9″ (wide) and 0.99m / 39″ (tele) at 1:2 and 1:4 magnification ratios, respectively. Their VXD motors should keep the autofocus swift and silent for all genres of photography, and Tamron’s VC image stabilization helps you get steadier photos and videos in the most challenging of conditions. The 3.5 to 6.3 variable aperture provides a solid balance of light gathering and compact design. Traditionalists might argue that f6.3 might not work that great in low light; however, with mirrorless cameras working better than ever with high ISOs these days, f6.3 could be considered the new f5.6. At around 22oz for both models and around 5 inches in length, this isn’t a lens that will weigh you down when you’re on a holiday. The 67mm filter helps keep costs down when shopping for screw-on filters, while the “moisture-resistant construction” will add a layer of weather sealing while outdoors in wet and humid conditions.
Who’d Buy The Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A Lens?
For travel photographers, versatility is king, and this lens certainly stakes its claim to take the crown in this segment. Neither Nikon nor Canon has this large a zoom range in any of their mirrorless lenses today, and I don’t think any other third-party manufacturer has one either. I’ve roamed the streets of a few cities with a 24-120mm lens, and while I’ve enjoyed the f4 availability at both ends of this lens, there have definitely been scenarios where I wished I could have had a longer zoom end at the expense of an aperture stop or more. Some of us might be willing to give up a fast, constant aperture for the ability to cover those ultra-tele shots. If you’re shooting travel, wildlife, or even cityscape as a globetrotter, I would say few, if any, mirrorless lenses match this level of reach in a single package. And of course, there’s that reassuring convenience of being able to carry just one lens and travel light. If you’re a Nikon or Canon APS-C shooter who’s been waiting for a lens like this, circle August 28 of this year in your calendar and set aside USD 629. This lens will help you easily cover a range of moments without having to swap out lenses while on the go.
Sample Images
All images seen in this article were provided by our Tamron USA reps and used with permission
