Tamron’s Latest Lens Patent

credits: Tamron

A newly published Tamron patent has put a spotlight on a 28–70mm f/2.0 zoom lens design, and it is already getting a lot of attention because it lives in the same space as Sony’s very pricey 28–70mm f/2 GM. On paper, this kind of lens is pretty exciting. A constant f/2 aperture across the standard zoom range means more light, more background blur, and a bit more breathing room in low light compared to the usual f/2.8 zooms.

Looking a bit closer at the diagram, Tamron seems to be using multiple moving groups for zooming and focusing. That points to a modern floating-element design, which is typically used to keep sharpness and aberration control steady from close focus all the way to infinity. Fast wide-angle zooms are especially hard to get right, since distortion, vignetting, and soft edges can show up quickly at the wide end. Designs like this usually lean heavily on aspherical and special-dispersion glass, even if the patent itself does not list every material in detail.

Of course, a patent is not the same thing as a product launch. Companies file these all the time just to protect ideas, and plenty of them never turn into real lenses. Still, the timing is interesting. Sony has already proven that there is demand for an f/2 standard zoom, even at a very high price. If Tamron ever turns this 28–70mm f/2.0 into a real lens at a lower cost, it could end up being a really tempting option.