Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD superzoom supercharged for Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts

News
By published

Capture everything from wide-angle to telephoto and half-size macro closeups – all without changing lenses – with this versatile 18-300mm shoot-’em-all optic

Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens on white background in Canon RF mount
(Image credit: Tamron)

Tamron has announced a new all-in-one superzoom lens for Nikon Z-mount and Canon RF-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. The Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD (Model B061) is a reworked version of a lens first available in Sony E and Fujifilm X mounts that was released in 2021, and at the time was the world's first APS-C-format lens for mirrorless cameras to achieve a zoom ratio of 16.6x. We were impressed with these previous incarnations of the lens, as you'll see in our 4.5-star review.

The 16.6x zoom range lets you shoot everything from wide-angle to ultra-telephoto focal lengths, all without needing to change lenses. Designed exclusively for APS-C format sensors, it gives an effective focal length of 27-450mm on Nikon cameras with their 1.5x crop factor and 29-480mm on Canon cameras when taking their 1.6x multiplier into account. Combined with its compact design, the generous zoom range makes it ideal for use as a travel lens to capture a diverse range of subjects, including landscapes, snapshots, portraits, wildlife, and sports.

Unlike the Canon model, the Nikon version of the lens doesn't have switches for auto/manual focus and turning vibration compensation on and off, so these options will have to be selected via in-camera menus (Image credit: Tamron)

A minimum focus distance of just 0.15m (5.9in) at the wide-angle end, combined with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2, makes it ideal for close-ups too, capturing a very high level of detail equivalent to half-size macro. A high-speed, high-precision VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism and Tamron's VC (Vibration Compensation) stabilization enable fast, accurate focus while minimizing the effects of camera shake for sharper shots.

Rival third-party lens maker Sigma has since released the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C, which goes a little wider and has an even bigger zoom ratio of 18.75x, although this lens is a little slower at the telephoto end of the zoom range, with an f/6.7 rather than f/6.3 aperture.

A release date and pricing for the new Canon and Nikon variations of the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD are yet to be announced, but the Sony and Fujifilm versions cost around $699 / £529 / AU$1,099, and I would expect a similar price tag to these models.

See more Lenses News
TOPICS
Adam Waring
Adam Waring
Guides Editor

Prior to joining digitalcameraworld.com as Guides Editor, Adam was the editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine for seven years, and as such is one of Digital Camera World's leading experts when it comes to all things Nikon-related.

Whether it’s reviews and hands-on tests of the latest Nikon cameras and lenses, sharing his skills using filters, tripods, lighting, L brackets and other photography equipment, or trading tips and techniques on shooting landscapes, wildlife and almost any genre of photography, Adam is always on hand to provide his insights.

Prior to his tenure on N-Photo, Adam was also a veteran of publications such as PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, so his wealth of photographic knowledge isn’t solely limited to the Big N.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.