Confirmed: Tamron lenses for Canon EOS R and Nikon Z on the way

Confirmed: Tamron lenses for Canon EOS R and Nikon Z on the way
(Image credit: Tamron)

Tamron lenses are in the pipeline for both the Canon EOS R and Nikon Z systems, according to a spokesperson for the manufacturer.

Tamron already makes some of the best Canon lenses and best Nikon lenses for DSLRs, as well as APS-C mirrorless lenses for the Canon EOS M system, but thus far the company has not produced any native lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS R or Nikon Z6.

However, when asked whether Tamron would be releasing Canon RF lenses and Nikon Z lenses,  a company representative confirmed that they are on the way.

"Under development, for both. It’s one of those things where it’s very clear, the mirrorless paradigm is our focus," said Tamron sales representative Mark Morris, in an interview with Englewood Camera

"We want to support as many photographers as we possibly can… we don’t like not being an option, so as much as we can we’ll support as many as we can." 

The last time Tamron publicly commented on RF and Z lenses was at CP+ 2019, when its stance seemed more speculative. "Yes, we’re also looking at that area," the company told DP Review. We have to do a lot of research and development into the reverse engineering, because they don’t disclose the details of their systems, so it’s a really hard job for us."

And recently it was reported by Nikon Rumors that, "The company is planning to release its entire line of full-frame mirrorless lenses for Nikon Z mount. The COVID-19 has significantly impacted their release schedule."

Indeed, the continued impact of coronavirus on both R&D and production was touched on by Morris. On the subject of when the new line of RF and Z lenses would materialize, he noted that, "It’s inevitable – when is the question, especially nowadays. Everything is going to be delayed, for everybody, I think".

However, the COVID situation doesn't mean that Tamron has stopped working on its upcoming optics. 

"We’re not done designing just because we’re all sitting around. We’re still very much in the design phase of new lenses, and where we’re able to be in production, we’re in production. So we’re not slowing down – if we don’t have to, we’re not gonna."

Read more: 

Best Canon RF lenses: the best lens for Canon EOS R, EOS RP and EOS Ra
Best Nikon Z lenses: best lens for Z6, Z7 and Z50 mirrorless cameras
Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is an "epoch-making all-in-one zoom"

James Artaius
Editor

James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.