Tamron’s Upcoming 70-300 to Be the Smallest Telephoto Zoom for Sony E

Tamron has announced the development of the world’s smallest and lightest telephoto zoom lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras: the Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD.

“While Tamron has manufactured many popular telephoto zoom lenses that extend to 300mm for DSLR cameras, the new 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 is the first model designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras,” the company says. “Developed with the concept of bringing the joy of easy telephoto shooting to photographers everywhere, it’s the world’s smallest and lightest 70-300mm zoom lens […]”

The moisture-resistant lens measures just 5.8 inches (14.7cm) long, weighs just 19.2 oz (0.54kg), and has a maximum diameter of just 77mm.

As with all of Tamron’s full-frame mirrorless lenses, the 70-300mm will have a 67mm filter diameter, reducing the number of filter variations you’ll need to carry in your camera bag.

Performance-wise, Tamron is promising that the lens will offer superb optics with aberration correction and fast/precise/quiet autofocusing with the company’s RXD stepping motor.

When paired with a Sony camera, the Tamron lens will play nicely with features such as Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF.

“The 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 is a highly practical lens that makes the excitement of telephoto shooting easier than ever before across a diverse range of shooting styles including landscapes, sports and other athletic events, wildlife, portraits, and more,” Tamron says.

Tamron has yet to announce a complete picture of final specs, pricing, and availability — “specifications, appearance, functionality, etc. are subject to change without prior notice,” the company says — but this lens will be launched in the fall of 2020 if all goes according to schedule.