Tamron is Developing an 11-20mm f/2.8 Lens for Fujifilm X-Mount
Tamron is developing the 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD (Model B060) for Fujifilm X-mount, which it describes as a lightweight and wide-angle zoom lens.
The company provided a decent level of detail about the coming lens, which is in line with its previous development announcements. The 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD will be a small and lightweight — yet balanced — compact zoom lens with a fixed f/2.8 aperture that is designed for Fujifilm’s APS-C sensor bodies.
The lens has a 35mm full-frame equivalent zoom range of 16.5-30mm, which Tamron says is for everyday use.
“At the 11mm ultra wide-angle end, the lens allows stunning close-range shooting performance, achieving an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.15 meters (5.9 inches) and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4,” Tamron says, adding that the close-focusing distance will allow photographers to capture wide-angle macro photos that combine the naturally occurring distortion that only wide angle lenses can provide.
The autofocusing system will be driven by Tamron’s RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor that it says works great for both still capture and video use.
The 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD will also feature a “moisture-resistant” construction and a Fluorine Coating that the company says together provide extra protection when shooting outdoors.
“The compact size, fast f/2.8 aperture, practical zoom range and superb image quality make the 11-20mm zoom an ideal choice for travel, landscape, street, and general photography,” the company concludes.
Other than the image above, any additional technical information (such as the optical construction) was not shared and will likely only be made known when the availability of the lens is finalized. On that note, Tamron did not provide any information on when to expect the 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD to come to market nor how much it might cost. That said, the timing of its previous development announcements to those products officially coming to market can provide a bit of insight on what to expect.
For example, Tamron announced it was developing the 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens for Sony E-Mount cameras on August 18, 2022 and turned around and announced the lens fully the following month on September 29. The lens hit store shelves at the end of October. If Tamron sticks to that schedule, expect more details to be released in March with purchase availability in April or May. This is, of course, all speculation, but it is hard to believe Tamron will keep buyers waiting much longer.
Additionally, it is very likely that the lens will share much in common with the 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD it already makes for Sony E-mount — a lens that has been on the market since 2021. That lens had a launch price of $829, but is currently available for $699.
Image credits: Tamron
