Lens Reviews

The Tamron 20mm f/2.8, 24mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/2.8 prime lenses have a lot in common. All three are fast, compact and designed for full-frame Sony mirrorless cameras. And all focus as close as just a few inches.

Tamron, who will mark their 70th anniversary in November of 2020, offers six compact, high-performance lenses that are specifically designed for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. All six feature large f/2.8 apertures and all are so compact that they share the same 67mm filter size. Three of these lenses are zooms, and three are prime (single focal length) lenses.

The three prime lenses standout because they are uniquely small, focus very close (down to an amazing 1:2 reproduction ratio) and—aside from focal length—share most physical specifications. All are f/2.8 and measure just 2.5-inches tall.

These lenses were designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras and are available in the Sony E mount. All are fully compatible with Sony’s baked-in camera features including Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF and in-camera lens corrections (shading, chromatic aberration, distortion).

Although the three lenses have many specs in common, we’ve repeated the specifications under each lens so you can get a complete picture at a glance. All three offer superb fit and finish and remarkable build quality.

Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
Guaranteed to give you a fresh perspective, Tamron’s 20mm f/2.8 is sharp from corner to corner and is exciting to use. Because it focuses as close as 4.3 inches you can shoot incredible, one-of-a-kind close-ups and include in-focus background details in portraits like never before. If you can own only one wideangle lens for your Sony full-frame mirrorless, this is the one.

Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
Sony E-mount full-frame ultra-wideangle lens
Bright f/2.8 aperture (f/2.8 to f/22)
Three LD (Low Dispersion) elements
One Aspherical element
Dimensions 2.87 x 2.5 inches (73 x 63.5 mm)
Weight 7.8 ounces (221 grams)
Minimum close-focus distance 4.3 inches (11 cm)
Reproduction ratio 1:2
Moisture-Resistant Construction
Hydrophobic, dirt-shedding Fluorine Coating

Order from Amazon  $299.

Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
A more traditional focal length for a wideangle, but still in the super-wide category, the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 is ideal for indoor family shots, parties, scenic landscapes, groups and many other situations where the kit zoom just isn’t wide enough.

Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
Sony E-mount full-frame ultra-wideangle lens
Bright f/2.8 aperture (f/2.8 to f/22)
Three LD (Low Dispersion) elements
One Aspherical element
Dimensions 2.87 x 2.5 inches (73 x 63.5 mm)
Weight 7.6 ounces (215 grams)
Minimum close-focus distance 4.7 inches (12 cm)
Reproduction ratio 1:2
Moisture-Resistant Construction
Hydrophobic, dirt-shedding Fluorine Coating

Order from Amazon $299.

Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
Falling into the realm of so-called normal lenses (although still wideangle) the 35mm f/2.8 Tamron is perfect for everyday, walking-around photography. Through the years, many photojournalists have opted for the 35mm focal length as their go-to lens for street photography and spot news. Even if you own either the 20mm f/2.8 or 24mm f/2.8 (or both) there should still be a place in your lens arsenal for the 35mm f/2.8.

Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens for Sony E
Sony E-mount full-frame ultra-wideangle lens
Bright f/2.8 aperture (f/2.8 to f/22)
Three LD (Low Dispersion) elements
One Aspherical element
Dimensions 2.87 x 2.5 inches (73 x 63.5 mm)
Weight 7.4 ounces (210 grams)
Minimum close-focus distance 5.9 inches (15 cm)
Reproduction ratio 1:2
Moisture-Resistant Construction
Hydrophobic, dirt-shedding Fluorine Coating

Order from Amazon $299.

Tamron Zoom Lenses for Sony Mirrorless
The three Tamron zoom lenses that are specifically designed for full-frame Sony mirrorless cameras are the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD, Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD and Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD. All three are compact and in fact all share the same 67mm filter size, same as the three primes.

That may just seem like a small detail, but think about it. Since the filter size of all six of Tamron’s mirrorless lenses is 67mm, you don’t need to buy polarizers or expensive ND filters in two or three different size—plus it’s much more convenient when changing lenses because all lens caps are interchangeable.

About Magnification Ratio
All three of Tamron’s prime lenses feature a reproduction ratio of 1:2. Simply explained, if you photograph a one-inch long subject at the closest focusing distance, it will be recorded as an image that measures one-half inch long on the sensor. As you can easily imagine, when you enlarge that image to normal viewing size, the object becomes ginormous and richly detailed.

Although true “Macro” photography begins at 1:1 (also called “life size”) historically many lenses that produce a 1:2 ratio have been labeled “Macro.” Many so-called “Macro Zooms” have a reproduction ratio of 1:4 or lower. Tamron has elected not to label these three prime lenses as Macro, but by the definitions used by some other manufacturers, they could be labeled as such.

About Crop Factor
Crop factors do not come into play when using any of Tamron’s six mirrorless-optimized lenses on full-frame cameras. However, when used on a Sony camera that has a sensor that is APS-C in size (e.g., a Sony Alpha a6500) the Crop Factor is 1.5. Consequently, the 20mm becomes the equivalent of a 30mm, the 24mm jumps to 36mm and the 35mm equals a 52mm focal length.

Turning this inside out, lenses that were designed specifically for APS-C sensor cameras cannot produce a full corner-to-corner image when used on a full-frame camera because the cone of light that they pass is too small to cover a sensor that measures the full 36 x 24mm.

Conclusion
Right now you can own all three Tamron prime lenses for less than $900 total. That’s a deal that’s hard to beat. (Note that this price may be a limited time offer.)

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