I am in downtown Seattle at Pike Place Market and Kaz is in Tampere, Finland at his Jolutori - We take a look at the new Tamron 20-40 f/2.8 Di III VXD for Sony. This small lightweight lens could replace several primes without sacrificing weight AND could save you money. How does it compare against a more traditional walk-around and travel lens like the Sony 24-105 f/4?

Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens for Sony E Specs

• E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format

• Maximum Aperture: f/2.8

• VXD Linear Motor Focus Mechanism

• Minimum Focusing Distance: 6.7"

• Moisture-Resistant Construction

• 67mm Front Filter Size

• Weight: 365 g / 12.9 oz

• Price $699

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Tamron 20-40 Sample Gallery - Pike Place Market, Seattle

Death Valley NP 2022 - Tamron 20-40 Sample Photos

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Tamron 20-40 f/2.8 for Sony Lens Summary Review

The good - it is an optically excellent lens in a small and lightweight package that despite seeming like a small range is quite versatile and it even has a USB port for firmware updates. And it is weather sealed even with this open port. I asked. And at $699 this is an affordable lens. 

This lens would also work well as a video lens especially on a gimbal with no need to rebalance when you change the focal length since the barrel extension is so minimal.

The only downsides I can come up with there are no Af/MF switch and no focus hold button. 

Some might want to compare this to a more traditional wide-angle like Sony’s 16-35 f/2.8 which is a great lens! But, it is much more expensive ($2199) and significantly heavier (almost 2x the weight) - Sigma and Tamron offer lighter and more affordable ultra-wide zooms but they stop at 28mm so that’s less exciting for portraits. During the summer of 2022, I reviewed the Sigma 16-28 and compared it to the Tamron 17-28. You can watch that video here.

If you want an affordable and lightweight lens that provides wide to portrait focal lengths this is a compelling option.