Tamron announces a new 18-200mm f/3,5-6,3 Di III VC lens

[alphaomega]

Got exited at first when I saw this on SAR

HOT! Tamron announces a new 18-200mm f/3,5-6,3 Di III VC lens for NEX!!!

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/hot-tamr ... s-for-nex/
Then I saw the price (before tax) in Japan

1) The new Tamron lens costs 80,000 Yen without tax (>$1,000) in Japan and will start to ship on Dec 15!

Not knowing what that meant I went for a conversion and arrived at Pounds 659.25 or US$1030.40
My interest began to wane a bit and then the dimensions

Ø x length 68 x 96.7 mm (102 mm including lens mount)
Weight 460 grams

This compares with the A-mount Tamron at

Weight [g] 398
Diameter x Length [mm] 73,8 x 83,7

So it is longer and heavier than the A-mount lens. (and much dearer).
Interest has plummeted and will stay with the EA-LA2 adapter and using my Sony 18-270mm Zoom for NEX. Looks like they have just added a bit to cover that 18mm gap.

[redsim74]

Well, the e-mount version does have image stabilisation, in body motor and likely a better build than the old Tamron 18-200. I would also expect it to be in a different class in terms of IQ.

[bossel]

Read somewhere it will be 670 Euro here, as opposed to 800 for the Sony.

[alphaomega]

Redsim74
Just bought Tamron's new 18-270 with A-mount for my son. This lens includes motor and latest lens technology. Price gross £498 (and £50 rebate from Tamron), The CAN/NIK version is same price with stabilisation. I can see no reason why Tamron's 18-200 for NEX should be dearer. I would expect a price of say £400 max.

[redsim74]

But then you're comparing the street price of a lens which has been out for a while with a best-guess RRP based on a currency conversion. There's also things like economies of scale involved, the 18-270 will be produced in vastly greater numbers because the market is bigger.

I don't doubt that the e-mount lens may be a bit more expensive, but unless you have an LA-EA2 already, getting the a-mount 18-270 (to attach to the NEX) makes little sense.

[Birma]

I'm sure Tamron know what they're doing, but the approach to bring out a lens with exactly the same zoom range and F numbers as an exisiting E mount offering seems very strange to me. They must bet on a lot of E mount videographers wanting to save a few dollars/yen/euros/pounds on the Sony version. I would have expected them to go for a gap in the exisitng lens range (plenty to chose from ) instead.

[pakodominguez]

http://tamron-usa.com/lenses/prod/18200_diIII_B011.asp
Catalog
http://tamron-usa.com/lenses/prod/asset ... 11_cat.pdf

[bakubo]

Both the Tamron and Sony have IS so it seems the biggest differences are that the Tamron is a bit smaller and lighter and is slightly cheaper (Adorama prices).

Tamron:
460g
97mm x 68mm
62mm filter
$739

Sony:
524g
99mm x 76mm
67mm filter
$800

Unless the Tamron is optically better it seems like most people would probably prefer the Sony lens unless the smaller size/weight are very important. Of course, the Tamron lens may drop in price a fair amount after it has been out awhile whereas the Sony lens probably won't. If that happens and the Tamron drops to $550-600 then that would certainly make it much more attractive. It will also be interesting to see how the AF is with the Tamron. Isn't this their first lens for NEX and CDAF?