The Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Is a Lightweight Alternative to the 35-150mm

5 hours ago 8

A Tamron 35-150mm camera lens is standing upright on a reflective surface, with a blurred green and red background and soft, circular light bokeh on the left side.

Tamron has announced the 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens for Nikon Z and Sony E-mount cameras. At nearly the same size and weight as the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens, the company says it was designed to be a lightweight alternative to the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD.

Announced in 2021, the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD has been highly praised among photographers, PetaPixel‘s review team included. But even its fans recognize that it’s large, heavy, bulky, and expensive, so Tamron believes it has created a lens that compromises some of the throw and speed in exchange for a much smaller overall package.

“The 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD has earned strong praise as a high-end portrait zoom. While highly acclaimed for its imaging performance, some users have wished for a lighter, more compact option. Developed in response to user demand, the 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A078) focuses on the most essential portrait focal lengths,” Tamron says.

A wet, reflective street at night leads to a large, illuminated building. Skyscrapers and lit street lamps line both sides, with a few trees and people holding umbrellas visible in the scene.

Tokyo Station at night, illuminated by streetlights and surrounded by tall modern skyscrapers, with wet pavement reflecting the city lights and a few people walking in the distance.

Tokyo Station at night, illuminated by streetlights with reflections on the wet pavement, surrounded by trees and modern buildings in the background.

Tokyo Station at night, its historic red-brick facade illuminated. Wet pavement reflects streetlights and building lights, with trees lining both sides of the walkway leading to the station.

The new 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD measures 4.7 inches (119.2mm) and 19.9 ounces (565 grams) and retains the Tamron-ubiquitous 67mm front filter thread. The Nikon Z-mount version is slightly larger and heavier, at 4.8 inches long (121.5mm) and weighing 20.3 ounces (575 grams).

Its focus is driven by Tamron’s VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) autofocusing motors, which the company says provide extremely fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus performance. It’s not meant to be a macro lens, but it can operate relatively close to subjects in a pinch with its 8.7-inch (0.22 meter) minimum object distance at the wide end.

Cross-section diagram of a camera lens, showing various internal lens elements. Different colors indicate molded glass aspherical, LD (Low Dispersion), and XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) lens elements, with a key below.

The lens is constructed of 15 elements arranged into 13 groups and features an aperture range of f/2.8 through f/22 via a nine-bladed circular diaphragm. That aperture system delivers what Tamron describes as “rich” bokeh, and the optical formula promises excellent clarity and sharpness.

The 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD is compatible with Tamron’s Lens Utility app — which is now compatible with iOS devices in addition to Android smartphones — and can connect via Bluetooth with an optional USB dongle, which attaches to the USB-C port on the body of the lens.

Below are a few sample images captured with the 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD, provided courtesy of Tamron.

A young woman with short brown hair and bangs stands indoors in front of large windows, wearing a dark blue knit sweater. Sunlight filters through green foliage outside, creating a soft, natural background.

A close-up of a woman with fair skin touching her ear, wearing a sparkling, gem-studded earring. Her brown hair partially covers her face, and her expression is calm and thoughtful.

A skateboarder in a white shirt and black cap performs an aerial trick above an indoor skate ramp, with colorful graffiti art visible on the wall behind him.

A wooden board with scrambled eggs, bacon, toasted bread, sliced apple, mixed salad greens with purple cabbage, a cherry tomato, and a small metal cup of sauce.

A scenic view of a bridge crossing a wide, blue lake surrounded by green hills and mountains under a clear blue sky. Trees and foliage are visible in the foreground.

A green industrial-style hanging lamp with a wire cage is lit in the foreground, while a warm exposed bulb and various vintage objects are blurred in the background.

A woman with curly hair smiles brightly outdoors, wearing a purple sweater and gold earrings, with sunlight and greenery in the blurred background.

Sunrise over a mountainous landscape with green hills in the foreground, a steaming crater in the midground, and layers of distant blue mountains under a colorful sky.

A young person with wavy dark hair, wearing a green jacket with white stripes and light blue jeans, sits on the ground in front of a colorful wall, looking to the side with a thoughtful expression.

A small brown poodle on a leash runs alongside a person in dark pants and sneakers on a city street, both mid-stride, with buildings and parked cars in the background.

Of note, Tamron is making the new lens available on both Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount simultaneously at launch, a departure from what has been a slightly delayed cadence in the past, where Sony photographers received access to the lens first, and Nikon Z-mount photographers would have to wait a few months.

A person wearing a yellow jacket holds a Sony digital camera with a large lens, standing in front of a blurred, pale green background.