Nikon Z Mount Cameras are Getting a New Tamron Compact 70-300mm Lens
News | By Stephan Jukic | September 7, 2022
For owners of Nikon Z mount cameras, an upcoming new third-party lens might be an excellent choice. The Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD (Model A047) looks to be an affordable full-frame telephoto option for Z-mount Nikon cameras and is going to be available on September 29th.
It’s worth noting that the 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD (Model A047) from Tamron isn’t a newly released lens model. It’s already available for Sony FE mount cameras given that Tamron already has a history of aiming its Di III RXD lenses at Sony users. This however will be the first time that one emerges for Nikon owners.
For Sony cameras, the lens has shown itself to be a relatively compact, lightweight option that’s one of the smallest and lightest 70-300mm options on the market for this camera user segment. The main question now is whether its Nikon version will offer the same characteristics. Nothing indicates that it shouldn’t, but here’s a closer look at its expected compatibility and specs.
The upcoming 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Z mount version will be directly usable for owners of cameras such as Nikon’s Z5, Z6 II, Z7 II and Z9, which we review here. Nikon itself does of course offer its own Z lenses for these cameras but these telephoto optics are pro-spec constant aperture models that come with steep price tags.
The Tamron lens offers a distinctly more affordable option that will also be ideal for camera models with APS-C Z-mounts. These include the Nikon Z50, Z fc (check out our review here), and the Z30. On all of them, the 70-Tamron 300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD will offer an equivalent focal range of 105-450mm for sharp long-range shooting.
Tamron claims that the 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is the “world’s smallest and lightest telephoto zoom for full-frame mirrorless cameras” in the 300mm range. The manufacturer has also described the lens construction as being “moisture resistant” and has noted that it includes Broad Band Anti-Reflection coating in its optics.
The new Tamron model’s optical design consists of 15 elements in 10 groups and among these is one Low Dispersion (LD) element. The lens’s RXD AF actuator also promises highly responsive speed and accuracy with quiet operation.
Interestingly, firmware updates can be downloaded directly to the lens itself through Tamron Lens Utility software, making it unnecessary to handle updates through an attached camera.
Once again, Tamron is releasing its 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD (Model A047) for Nikon Z mount cameras on September 29th for a suggested retail price of $699.
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Stephan Jukic is a technology and photography journalist and experimental photographer who spends his time living in both Canada and Mexico. He loves cross-cultural street photo exploration and creating fine art photo compositions.
