New gear Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD

Here’s what’s caught our eye this month...

£TBA/$499 www.tamron.eu Tamron’s latest ultra-wide lens replaces the SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD launched back in 2008, and while core specs remain unchanged, there are plenty of tweaks under the hood.

The first notable new addition is Vibration Compensation (VC), which Tamron claims will provide a four-stop advantage. This may not be essential at short focal lengths, but it does offer improved usability in low light, and a crucial edge over Nikon’s own AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED. Tamron has also equipped the lens with a new HLD (High/Low Torque Modulated Drive) autofocus motor, which is designed to increase autofocus smoothness. Full-time manual focus override is also available.

And it’s not just AF that’s been given a precision boost, as aperture adjustment now benefits from a new electromagnetic diaphragm that enhances accuracy through the use of a dedicated motor that sends electronic pulse signals. Optical performance is improved, too, with a 16-element, 11-group design incorporating one LD (Low Dispersion) element, one XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) element, an aspherical element, and one hybrid aspherical lens. This should help to minimise chromatic aberration, ghosting, flare and distortion.

All this tech has been squeezed into a barrel that’s 82.1mm long and 83.6mm wide, and that weighs in at 440g, making it almost the same size as Nikon’s 10-24mm, and 20g lighter. The new casing also receives Tamron’s refreshed SP-series external design to ensure you don’t mistake this lens for its predecessor. First impressions_

Image stabilisation, a versatile focal length range and competitive pricing get this lens off to a good start. If optical quality is up to scratch, Nikon’s 10-24mm will be facing very stiff competition.