| Picture: Tamon |
If you have ever taken a look at the tamon lens, you have surprisingly focused on longer numbers and letters in the product name. Reading “Tamone 18–300 mm f/3.5-6.3 DI III-A VC VXD” can feel like trying to understand a secret code. Also, when you go to read about the lens, you can find even more brief and conditions to find out. In this article, we will break that code and clarify what each brief name is. In this way, you can decide more easily what is important for you when shopping for tamon lenses.
Lens type and compatibility
Outside the focal length and maximum aperture, the first brief name on the tamon lens refers to the lens type and its compatibility. If you do not see one of these briefness (or more), the lens does not offer that feature or specification.
DI, DI II, DI III and DI III-A
After focal length and maximum aperture, you will get DI variation, which is a brief name for digital integrated design. Tamon designed his DI lens for DSLR (both APS-C and Full-frame), and DI indicates that the lens is not for the film camera.
These days, you will often see DI after II, III or III-A, which gives a little more clarity to a specific type of digital lens.
- DI II lenses are also made for DSLRS, but only with those who are small sensors from full-frames (up to 16 x 24 mm).
- The DI III is the company’s mirrorless identifier, which mentions the lens made for the Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILCs).
- DI III-A APS-C are mirrorless lenses for cameras.
SP
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| Tamron Sp 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC is part of the USD G2 company’s SP, or Super Performance, Lineup. Picture: Tamon |
On some DSLR lenses, the first part of the name Lens (even before the focal length) is SP. Tamon has not used that designation in its mirrorless lineup, but it stands for super performance. This indicates that the lens is part of the Temron’s high-end professional lens lineup. As a result, it promises better performance and high optical quality than the lens without that designation, but it also comes at a higher price than the rest.
Stabilization, focus system and macro
The next letters in the lens name mention the type of autofocus motors and, when current, stabilization or macro abilities.
Vice -chancellor
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| As you can see on these switches, some tamon lenses provide several settings for vibration (VC). Picture: Tamon |
When you see the VC in a tamon lens name, it means that the vibration of the lens temperature offers a version of optical stabilization. VC is mostly found on the company’s telephoto zoom lens and aims to reduce blur from the camera vibration using long shutter speeds.
VXD, RXD, OSD and USD
Tamon lenses use several different autofocus motors with a brief name for each. You will not look at many of these on a single lens, as a lens may have only one type of autofocus motor.
VXD is one of the more common brief names on the recent lens. It stands for Voice-Coil Extreme-Torck Drive. The VXD motor is a linear motor focus mechanism, and at the time of writing, the fastest motor in the lineup of the tamone. This allows the lens to adjust the focus quickly, quietly and accurately. VXD is ideal for sports, wildlife or video capture where smooth and cool autofocus is important.
RXD is another frequent word on the Tamone lens. It rapidly stands for excess-cilai stepping drive, one type of stepping motor. Although VXD is not as sharp as autofocus motor, the RXD motor is relatively sharp and cool. It is suitable for photography and video applications that depend on a cool operation but do not have maximum speed.
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| Tamron is designed for 11-20mm f2.8 DIII-A RXD Mirrorless APS-C cameras (as DI III-A tells us) and a rapid additional-cylinder stepping drive (RXD) Autofocus Motor facilities. Picture: Tamon |
OSD means customized silent drive, which is also a type of stepping motor. It is less common on the New Tamon lens, and sits under the VXD and RXD lens in terms of autofocus motion and noise.
The old lens may also contain HLD or PZD symmetry. HLD stands for high/low torque-modulated drive; It also allows users to use manual focus in autofocus mode. PZD, which stands for the Piezo electric drive, is another type of tamon autofocus motor that is usually found in its mid-range and travel zoom lens.
Macro, M1: 2 or M1: 1
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| The Tamon 90 mm F2.8 DI III Macro VXD is a mirrorless lens (DI III) that is for macro applications and facilitates a VXD autofocus motor. Picture: Tamon |
Finally, some tamon lenses, such as the Tamon 20 mM F2.8 DI III OSD M1: 2, at the end of the name, allows “M1: 2” or “M1: 1”. This means that the lens provides 1: 2 or 1: 1 maximum magnification ratio for macro photography. Other tamon lenses, such as one above, are called macro in the name only.
G2 lens generation
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| Tamron 16-30mm F2.8 DI III VXD G2 is the second generation of this lens. Picture: Tamon |
The last bit of some text that you will see on some tamon lens names refers to the lens generation. If you look at G2 at the end of a tamon lens, it means that it is the second generation of that lens. As a result, it provides improvement in the original version, including better optical performance, sharp and more accurate autofocus or better coatings.
Optical design, build quality and features
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| Zl refers to zoom lock, a switch that locks the lens in a specific position. Picture: Tamon |
Although not in the names of the lens, Tamron also uses a brief name for some of its proprietary techniques related to other characteristics on its lens.
ZL, which stands for zoom lock, is a tamon feature that allows you to lock a zoom lens to prevent unwanted expansion of lens barrels (Zoom Crees). It locks the zoom ring on a specific position (usually the smallest focal length), so that the lens does not expand when you are wearing a camera on the camera strap or otherwise take it down.
Bbar and Bbar G2 Tamron’s broad band are anti -reflection coatings. The purpose of these coatings is to reduce ghosting and improve color balance. Tamon uses an e-band (extended bandwidth and angular-dependence) coating to reduce the ghosts and even more.
Fec is a feature on some old Tamron lenses. It is a dedicated ring located in front of the lens that allows you to easily rotate a filter, such as a circular polarization, even when a lens is attached.
Words are not specific to tamon
In addition to the above brief names, there are also a lot of words associated with the lens that are not specific to tamone. Most of these specific lenses come to play with elements, such as XLD (extra low spread), but this is for another post.
