Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD for Sony FE

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 is a versatile third-party lens for Sony E and Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, made by the Japanese lens company Tamron. The lens features an unusually wide range of focal lengths from 35mm to 150mm, and the variable maximum aperture of f/2 to f/2.8 is among the largest of any full-frame zoom lens today.

At $1900 (Sony E version) or $2000 (Nikon Z version), the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 is not a cheap lens. However, a big part of its appeal is that it can replace multiple lenses in your bag with a single one – potentially replacing a midrange f/2.8 zoom, a telephoto f/2.8 zoom, and even a 35mm prime in one swoop!

Considering the unique combination of focal lengths and maximum aperture values, the Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8 promises to be a very useful lens for almost any genre of photography. While event photographers are probably the most excited about this lens, the possibilities for landscape photography, documentary photography, nearby wildlife photography, and general low-light photography are all intriguing, too.

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is the first lens of its kind, announced in September 2021 for Sony E and in August 2023 for Nikon Z. Interestingly, Tamron did previously make a 35-150mm f/2.8-4 lens for Nikon and Canon DSLRs, which no doubt helped inspire this new lens – although the lens I’m reviewing today has a one-stop brighter maximum aperture at every focal length, so they are totally different beasts. The only other lens available right now with a similar focal length and aperture is the Samyang 35-150mm f/2-2.8, an autofocus-capable lens currently made just for Sony E.

I’ve tested the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 both in the field and in the lab, and this hands-on review will cover everything that you need to know about this exciting lens: its build quality, optical performance, and more. My copy of the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 was the Nikon Z version, but everything in this review applies equally to Nikon Z and Sony E mirrorless photographers. The only significant difference is that the Sony E version of the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 is $100 less expensive.