Tamron to launch fastest zoom for Nikon Z-mount mirrorless system

Tamron has announced that it is developing a Nikon-Z version of its Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD, which will go on sale later this year. The lens will be Tamron's second Nikon Z-mount zoom, following up from the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD which was introduced last year.

The full-frame Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD is already sold in Sony E-mount, and is equally suitable for use on an APS-C DX camera body, such as the Nikon Z50, where it will give an equivalent focal length range of 53-225mm.

The lens has an unusually fast maximum aperture of f/2, which is faster than any zoom currently available for the Z-mount. Tamron is also the only manufacturer, so far, to have produced autofocus lenses for the Nikon Z camera system.

Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD for Nikon Z mirrorless cameras

(Image credit: Tamron)

Full specifications for the Nikon-fit version have yet to be announced, but we expect it to share the same key features as the Sony E-mount version. These include a nine-bladed diaphragm, a filter size of 82mm, and a weight of 1,165g. The lens, however, does not feature built-in image stabilization. In our review of the Sony version, we noted that "Autofocus is based on a VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme Drive) linear stepping motor, which is fast for stills and enables smooth transitions when shooting video, in almost complete silence".

Price details will also be confirmed nearer the official launch in the fall, but we would again expect it to be similar to the Sony version which retails at $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,699.

Chris George
Content Director

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 

His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Sony A7 IV, alongside his old Nikon D800 and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He is the author of a number of books including The Book of Digital Photography, which has been translated into a dozen different languages.

In addition to his expertise in photography and videomaking, he has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.