SP 24-70mm F/2.8
Di VC USD
Model A007

VC (Vibration Compensation)

Even when shooting in low-light conditions with a slow shutter speed, Tamron's acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation)* allows for stable handheld camera work, to enchance the usefulness of a fast-aperture zoom lens.

* The Sony mount lens does not include VC, because the body of Sony digital SLR cameras includes image stabilisation functionality. The product name for Sony cameras is "SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di USD" without the VC designation.

Advanced optical technology

Specialised high-grade glass in the three LD elements, three Glass Molded Aspherical Lenses, one Hybrid Aspherical Lens and two XR (Extra Refractive Index) elements all contribute to the top-of-class image quality expected of a high-grade Tamron SP lens.

Rounded diaphragm

The rounded outline diaphragm of the lens is retained even when stopped down to f/5.6. Blur highlights in a photo reflect the shape of the aperture and they are a much more prominent feature at wider apertures. In this high-speed lens, this important optical design element results in more attractive, natural-looking images.

USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive)

Tamron's proprietary USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) powers a speedy autofocus system. Major improvements in autofocus response and tracking ability over standard DC motors enable instantaneous focusing and spontaneous shooting of rapidly moving subjects.

This extremely quiet motor is ideal for photography of events, weddings, theatre or musical performances, as well as crucial moments on the golf course – any situation where autofocus noise is obtrusive.

Direct Manual Focus

The USD motor is complemented by Direct Manual Focus to enable manual fine-tuning after autofocusing if and when necessary. No need to engage a switch – just gently rotate the focus ring.

Moisture resistance

Tamron's new moisture-resistant construction helps prevent water from penetrating the lens, making it even more ideal for travel and shooting outdoors.

Flower-shaped hood is supplied with the lens to shield stray light

Included as a standard accessory, the flower-shaped hood matches the rectangular shape of the image sensor to most effectively block the interference of superfluous light rays entering from outside the borders of the image area, helping to ensure sharp, clear, flare-free images with crisp detail in the shadow areas.

Form and texture that embodies the high-performance, high-precision qualities of the SP series

This lens features the gold metal ring that symbolises the SP series, and other design elements that boost its looks.

Super Performance series

Performance takes priority for superb image quality

This line of ultra-high-performance lenses is designed and manufactured to the exacting specifications demanded by professionals and others who require the highest possible image quality. The foremost priority is achieving superior performance parameters – high design standards take priority over cost constraints. As a result, Tamron SP lenses feature innovative designs that have established an enviable reputation for excellence amongst demanding photographers.

Low Dispersion

Sharpens edges by reducing 'colour fringing'

Chromatic aberration occurs when a lens element refracts different wavelengths of a ray of light – its rainbow colours – at very slightly different angles. This results in the 'colour fringing' that reduces the sharpness of an image. LD elements are made from special glass materials with extremely low dispersion indices (i.e. the refraction of a ray of light into rainbow colours is extremely narrow). Thus they effectively compensate for chromatic aberration at the centre of the field (on axis), a particular problem at long focal lengths (the telephoto end of the zoom range), and for lateral chromatic aberration (toward the edges of the field) that often occurs at short (wideangle) focal lengths.

Although costly, LD glass materials result in clear, vivid image quality.

Aspherical

Far superior image quality – while reducing lens size and weight

Tamron uses several hybrid aspherical lens elements in its lenses bearing the Aspherical designation. The benefits are two-fold: first, their non-spherical shapes virtually eliminate spherical aberration and image distortion. Second, as one hybrid aspherical lens element can take the place of multiple elements without compromising performance, they allow the lens to be much more compact.

As a result, these innovative optics have played a crucial role in delivering uniformly high image quality across all apertures and focal lengths of extraordinarily compact ultra-zoom lenses.

Extra Refractive Index

More compact lenses with superior image quality

XR (Extra Refractive Index) glass can bend light rays at steeper angles, thereby decreasing the physical length of the lens while enhancing imaging performance by minimising optical aberrations. With its superior light-bending power, XR glass makes it possible to design a short-barrel lens with the same light-gathering ability (aperture value) as a long-barrel lens – even with a smaller lens diameter. By using this principle Tamron has been able to shorten the length of the entire optical system and produce lighter, more compact lenses of the same speed, and also to provide greater zoom ranges in lenses that are much more convenient to carry and hand-hold.

XR glass is costlier than conventional glass but it yields enhanced optical power distribution, making the innovative XR lens designs possible.

Vibration Compensation

Compensates for camera blur on long shutter speeds – for sharp images in much less light

Tamron's unique VC mechanism uses a proprietary actuator and algorithms to deliver an extremely stable viewfinder image with excellent tracking. The tri-axial system uses three driving coils to move internal optical components within the VC lens electromagnetically, based on signals originating from three ball bearings, made from either steel or ceramic. The VC lens elements are held in place only by contact with the balls, achieving smooth movement with minimal friction.

Tamron's original moving magnet system employed a heavy magnet positioned near the moving VC lens element. The improved VC reverses the positions of magnet and coil and attaches the VC optic to the coil. This moving coil is lighter than the magnet, and as this reduces the load on the drive system, both the VC unit and the lens are lighter and more compact.

Ultrasonic Silent Drive

'Travelling waves' generate a fast, smooth AF movement

Tamron’s USD works with the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations that are produced by a ring called a ‘stator’. Energy from the vibrations is used to rotate an attached metallic ring known as the ‘rotor’. Piezoelectric ceramic is a material that produces ultrasonic vibrations when voltage of a specific frequency is applied is arranged in a ring formation on the stator. This electrode configuration of piezoelectric ceramic causes two ultrasonic vibrations to occur in the stator. By effectively combining these two ultrasonic vibrations, it is possible to convert the energy from the vibrations that produce simple motion into energy known as ‘deflective travelling waves’, which move around the circumference of the ring. The friction between these deflective travelling waves created on the metallic surface of the stator and the surface of the rotor produces force, causing the rotor to rotate. Attached to the rotor is the focusing lens, which is given a fast, smooth autofocus movement.

Fine manual focus adjustments can be made quickly and easily

The USD motor is complemented by DMF (Direct Manual Focus) to enable manual fine-tuning after autofocusing if and when necessary. No need to engage a switch – just gently rotate the focus ring on the lens.

Digitally Integrated

Optimal image quality on both digital and film SLRs

Di is a Tamron designation that applies to lenses that have been optimised for digital capture using advanced multi-coating techniques and optical designs that assure excellent image quality across the entire picture field. Because of these characteristics, Di lenses provide outstanding performance on cameras with full-frame and APS-C format sensors as well as on 35mm film.

Tamron's Di range

• SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR (Model A09)
• SP 24-70mm Di VC USD (Model A007)
• AF28-300mm F3.5-6.3 XR (Model A061)
• AF28-300mm F3.5-6.3 XR VC (Model A20)
• SP AF70-200mm F/2.8 (Model A001)
• SP AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 VC USD (Model A005)
• AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 (Model A17)
• AF200-500mm F/5-6.3 (Model A08)
• SP AF90mm F/2.8 Macro (Model 272E)
• SP AF180mm F/3.5 Macro (Model B01)

New classifications for Nikon mounts

Tamron's Nikon-mount lenses featuring an internal AF have until now been designated 'N II'. Lenses using a coupler system* without an internal AF motor were designated as 'N'. As future lens introductions for Nikon will have the internal AF motor as a standard feature, Tamron has simplfiied the designation of all Nikon-mount lenses as 'N', eliminating the 'N II' designation for future models. This change was effective from the 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD (Model B008).

The 'N'-classified lenses with coupler systems are:

• AF55-200mm F/4-5.6 Di II (Model A15)
• AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di (Model A061)
• SP AF200-500mm F/5.6-6.3 Di (Model A08)
• SP AF180mm F/3.5 Di (Model B01)

* Coupler systems use a shaft which connects with the AF motor built into the camera body to operate the lens.