Press
Release
ANNOUNCING the development of THE TAMRON AF18-270MM Di II VC ULTRA HIGH POWER
ZOOM LENS
A
Technological Breakthrough—World’s Longest Range 15X Zoom Lens Has Exclusive
Built-In Vibration Compensation Mechanism Optimized for Consumer Digital SLR
Cameras
July
30, 2008, Saitama City, Japan — Tamron Co., Ltd., under the
leadership of Mr. Morio Ono, President, has announced the development of a
unique ultra high power zoom lens—the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD
Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model B003), the first[1]
digital SLR lens in the world that delivers a remarkable zoom ratio of
15X (28-419mm equivalent) and is equipped with a highly effective Vibration
Compensation (VC) mechanism. Designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with
APS-C sized image sensors, the new lens delivers outstanding image quality over
its entire zoom range and its exclusive VC anti-shake system facilitates sharp
handheld photography even at the longest telephoto settings.
With
its vast zoom-range, the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens enables the
user to cover virtually any photographic subject from wide angle to ultra
telephoto simply by turning the zoom control. It covers angles of view
equivalent to 28mm to 419mm when converted to the 35mm format[2].
In addition, this breakthrough lens is equipped with Tamron’s exclusive,
proprietary tri-axial Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism that eliminates or
substantially reduces the effects of handheld camera shake. As a result, the
user can enjoy the convenience of handheld photography in virtually any situation,
from shooting candid images, to covering sporting events, to news photography, without
worrying about camera shake having an adverse effect on image quality. The new lens
will be made available in Canon and Nikon mounts. The price and launch date of
the new lens will be announced at a later date.
Note: Di (Digitally integrated) II
lenses employ optical systems designed for exclusive use on digital SLR cameras
equipped with smaller sized (APS-C sized) image sensors. Di II lenses are not
designed for use with 35mm film cameras or digital SLR cameras with image
sensors larger than 24mm x 16mm. (This special note “APS-C sized image sensors”
is hereinafter omitted.)
DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND
Since
launching the Tamron AF28-200mm F/3.8-5.6 (Model 71D) in 1992 that was highly
acclaimed as the first high power zoom lens suitable for practical use, Tamron
has continued to develop innovative zoom lenses as the “pioneer in high power
zoom lenses”. With the AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XI Di II (Model A14), Tamron
realized an 11.1X zoom power for the first time in a zoom lens exclusively
designed for digital SLR cameras and expanded the telephoto range further to
13.9X with the AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II (Model A18), making steady progress
in extending the range of high performance, high power zoom lenses.
Tamron’s
engineers faced the even more formidable challenge of finding solutions for the
problem of “handheld camera shake” while expanding the telephoto range even further
and have eventually developed the AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC. This lens has
attained the maximum zoom power of 15X for the first time in the world, namely
as a zoom lens exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. It enables the
user to cover an extremely wide angle-of-view range equivalent to a 28mm-419mm
lens in the 35mm format. In addition, the lens is equipped with Tamron’s
original and exclusive VC mechanism that effectively compensates for “handheld
shake”, which would otherwise become visible as un-sharpness or blur in images
shot handheld. Moreover this system is effective over the extremely wide focal
length range of this extended ultra telephoto lens and Tamron’s VC mechanism
provides maximum compensation performance at all focal lengths. The VC system enables
the user to enjoy the full benefits of ultra-tele photography comfortably and
provides amazingly stabilized viewfinder images as well. In short, this unique VC
image stabilization system delivers the maximum potential built into the world’s
longest-ratio zoom lens—15X.
Tamron
was able achieve all these remarkable accomplishments thanks to its advanced
optical/mechanical design technologies and production know-how accumulated over
16 years as the pioneer in high power zoom lens design, and its commitment to ongoing
research and development. Even more important, in combining an amazingly high
zoom ratio along with the VC function Tamron has maintained a high priority on
its traditional goals of lightness and compactness. As a result the new Tamron
AF18-270mm Di II VC delivers all the functionality and performance you expect
from the latest Tamron ultra high power zoom, a lens that exemplifies our
time-honored concept of “One great lens covering everything from wide angle to
telephoto”.
|
Product
Name |
AF18-270mm
F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model B003) |
|
Launching
Date |
TBA |
|
Price |
TBA |
MAIN FEATURES
1. World’s first and
greatest zoom ratio of 15X, covering 28-419mm 35mm-equivalent angle of view
Going back to the basic concept of “one lens covering everything
from wide angle to telephoto,” engineers at Tamron took up the difficult task
of expanding the zoom range of Tamron’s high power zoom lenses even further.
Their unstinting efforts to extend the telephoto end beyond previous limits
while retaining the wide-angle end at 18mm has borne fruit as an ultra high
power zoom lens that is exclusively designed for DSLR cameras and boasts the
greatest zoom range of 15X for the first time in the world.
2. Tamron’s original VC mechanism for effective shake-free hand-held
photography
Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism was
built in the AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC (Model A20) for the first time. It
demonstrated its powerful compensation effect employing a tri-axial system that
is designed to let three coils drive a compensator lens electromagnetically via
three steel balls. Since the compensator lens is supported on rolling steel
balls with very low friction, follow-up performance is also enhanced, resulting
in stabilized viewfinder images. Since the mechanism is designed to allow
parallel shifting of the compensator lens solely by means of electrical
control, the mechanical construction is simpler and more compact, so the lens
can be kept as a small and light as possible.
3. Designing a high
power, compact zoom lens with VC mechanism: Optical design optimization meets
optimum power distribution
In developing the long-range zoom lens, Tamron’s optical
designers pursued the optimum distribution of power within the overall optical
system based on the optical design know-how Tamron accumulated over 16 years
since the introduction of the first compact AF28-200mm in 1992. The resulting optical
system uses two LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements and three aspherical elements
in order to effectively compensate for various aberrations including
astigmatism, yet this design allows the first optical group to be small enough
in diameter to realize the overall goal of a compact lens that incorporates a
handheld-shake compensation mechanism.
Note: In order to realize the high
zoom ratio of 15X, the optical system does not use any XR (extra dispersion
glass) element. Instead, compactness is achieved through optimization of the
power distribution within the whole optical system.
4. Minimum focusing
distance of 0.49m over the entire zoom range for the maximum magnification
ratio of 1:3.5
The AF18-270mm Di II VC allows close focusing down to 0.49m (20
inches) from the subject over the entire zoom range even though it incorporates
the VC mechanism. The maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5[3]
at its 270mm telephoto end is the top class capability among high power zoom
lenses exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras.
5. Optical system
optimized for digital SLR cameras by taking incident rays of light reaching the
image sensor into consideration
In order to effectively compensate for changes in aberrations
due to zooming, the zoom lens employs an innovative optical system that is
designed to converge the angles of rays of light entering from the center to
the periphery of the lens. The light rays thus reach the image sensor within a defined
circle that assures high imaging performance and reduces light falloff.
6. High resolution
performance
As a lens exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras, this
zoom lens delivers high resolution and contrast performance for outstanding
image quality with sufficient flatness of the field under an extremely wide
range of photographic conditions.
7. Thorough countermeasures, including advanced internal surface
coatings, prevent ghosting and flare
Tamron employs multi-layer coatings in order to reduce
reflections on lens surfaces as well as internal surface coatings (coatings on
the cemented surfaces of lens elements) in order to minimize reflections from
the sensor itself within the mirror box, a problem inherent to all digital SLR
cameras.
8. The world’s first and greatest zoom power of 15X plus built-in VC
mechanism achieved along with a remarkably slim maximum diameter of less than 80mm
Designing a lens with the world’s first and greatest zoom ratio
of 15X inevitably entailed a larger travel distance of the components within
the optical systems, but Tamron has successfully accommodated the optical
system as well as the special VC mechanism in a remarkably compact and slim
package by employing mechanical design technology accumulated over many years.
The result: A slim design measuring less than 80mm in diameter despite the fact
that it is an ultra high power zoom lens that incorporates a VC mechanism.
Production engineering this unique zoom lens meant incorporating complex
optical/mechanical components, and Tamron’s engineers had to employ innovative
manufacturing techniques including methods of further enhancing accuracy,
reducing weight, and increasing the strength of many components.
Note: In order to achieve the world’s
first and greatest zoom ratio of 15X, metal mounts are used in both Canon- and
Nikon-mount lenses.
9. Zoom lock mechanism for convenience in carrying the outfit
The lens has a built-in zoom lock mechanism to prevent its
barrel from sliding forward when the lens is being carried on the camera.
10. Flower-shaped lens hood as a standard accessory
The lens is supplied with a flower-shaped lens hood as a
standard accessory. It is designed to efficiently cut harmful light entering at
angles other than intended angles at all four corners of the frame. This ensures
clear, flare-free images.
11. New outer design matches the newest generation high power zoom lens in
the digital era
(1) The lens employs a new outer design that is more refined and
smoother in its overall contours by minimizing concavity, convexity, and
variations in profile in order to match the latest digital SLR cameras.
(2) A gold-colored metal ring is placed at a key portion of the
lens as used in other Di II lenses. The “TAMRON” logo placed in the center
portion of the lens enhances visibility of the brand while refining the overall
design.
(3) Delicate matte finish is added to the black painting over
the lens barrel in order to enhance the high quality appearance of the lens.
(4) The textured rubber pattern of the zoom and focus control
rings has been improved again to a more pronounced, easy to grasp design than
the conventional rubber pattern, for better feel and touch in manipulating the
lens.
SPECIFICATIONS
Focal Length 18-270mm
Maximum Aperture F/3.5-6.3
Angle of View 75°33’ (equivalent angles of view when
converted to 35mm)
Lens Construction 18 elements in 13
groups
Minimum Focus Distance 0.49m/19.3” (over the entire
zoom range)
Maximum Magnification Ratio 1:3.5 (at f=270mm and 0.49m MFD)
Filter Diameter 72mm
Overall Length 101.0mm/3.8”*
Maximum Diameter 79.6mm
Weight (TBA)
Diaphragm Blade 7 blades
Minimum Aperture F/22
Standard Accessory Flower-shaped lens
hood
Mount For
Canon and Nikon
*The values given are the lens for Nikon.
*The cosmetic design, specifications and performance are subject to
change without notice.
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8/10/08