Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2

Tamron has established itself as a true value lens brand for mirrorless photographers. We praised its low-cost 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD when we reviewed it a few years ago, and the updated 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 ($899 for Sony E, $999 for Nikon Z) is only better. This edition uses a new optical formula that delivers more pleasing bokeh and sports a snappier, more accurate linear focus motor, so it remains a compelling, low-cost alternative to first-party f/2.8 standard zooms. But it falls short of the Editors' Choice-winning Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art and Nikkor Z 24-120mm F4 S for Sony and Nikon photographers respectively, which offer top-notch image quality and more versatile focal ranges for $1,099.

Editors' Note: This review was updated on March 27, 2024 to reflect Z mount availability. It was originally published on January 18, 2022.

Available for Nikon and Sony

On the outside, the G2 edition of the lens doesn't stray far from Tamron's first take. It's slightly larger at 4.6 by 3.0 inches (HD), weighs just as much (1.2 pounds), and supports the same front filter size of 67mm. One of the few differences is that the updated version's tapered barrel makes it feel a bit more natural to hold.

Despite a few functional changes to the exterior, the black, composite plastic aesthetic remains. The G2 feels far from flimsy, however, and features some defense against the elements: Internal seals prevent moisture from getting inside, while anti-smudge fluorine protects the front glass.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Photographers who bought the original 28-75mm F2.8 RXD early on got it for $799, but Tamron later bumped the price to $879. At $899 in E-mount and $999 for Nikon Z, the G2 costs a little more, but you get updated optics, a more aggressive focus motor, and a USB-C port for firmware updates and fine-tuning its controls. The optics cover full-frame sensors, so you can use it with a Sony a7 IV or Nikon Z 8 body and enjoy its full angle of view. It's also compatible with APS-C sensor models like the Sony a6700 and Nikon Z 50 with a narrower angle of view (42-112mm equivalent). I reviewed the E-mount version on the full-frame a7R IV.

Sony owners can mull it against the compact, value-minded Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary ($899.95) and mid-priced alternatives like the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art and Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS ($1,299.99). If you've got a big budget, the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II ($2,299.99) is also an option. For Nikon, I recommend this version over the Nikkor Z 28-75mm ($1,199.95), a re-badged version of the first-generation Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 RXD. But you should also consider the superb Nikkor Z 24-120mm F4 S for its wider range of coverage, especially if dim-light imaging isn't a priority.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Versatile Handling and Quick Autofocus

The 28-75mm F2.8 balances well on full-frame bodies and is lighter than 24-70mm f/2.8 alternatives. It's not the smallest or lightest lens of its type, though—Sigma's tiny 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary is a couple of ounces lighter and half an inch shorter but not as well protected against the elements. The Sigma zoom is an option only for Sony and L-Mount systems.

The zoom control ring sits toward the front of the lens and features the same rubberized ridges you see on most zooms. It turns easily, moving from 28 to 75mm with a 90-degree twist. The lens doesn't include a zoom lock, but I didn't find creep to be an issue—it stays set at 28mm even if you hold it facing straight down.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Tamron's claim that the G2 delivers snappier autofocus performance than its predecessor holds up in testing. It racks from close-up to distant subjects in an instant with the Sony a7R IV and works as well with Sony's tracking and subject recognition autofocus modes as first-party glass. The only caveat is one that it shares with every other third-party option—the capture speed tops out at 15fps on Sony's fastest bodies, the a1 and a9 III. Nikon does not enforce any such speed restrictions, so the lens can keep up with the Z 8 and Z 9.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Manual focus is an option, too. The focus ring sits farther back on the barrel toward the mount and uses the same textured finish as the zoom ring. It turns with a little bit of resistance, a plus for making careful adjustments to focus. Nikon camera owners should note that the manual focus ring does not double as a customizable Control Ring, unlike on the Nikkor Z 28-75mm.

You can choose between a linear and nonlinear response for manual focus, as well as set the direction that it turns, via the Tamron Lens Utility software app that's free to download on macOS and Windows systems. The application also enables you to update the firmware of the lens.

(Credit: Tamron)

Photographers are likely to opt for nonlinear focus, in which slower turns make fine adjustments and quicker ones rack across the focus range more aggressively. If you're more into video, choose the linear response option. In this mode, the change in focus depends on the amount of adjustment, not the speed. The linear focus mode is useful for making repeatable focus racks.

Focus breathing, the effect in which the angle of view blooms and shrinks along with the focus adjustment, isn't completely absent, but is minimal. It's noticeable only when you change the focus from very close subjects to very far ones or vice versa. In any case, I'm comfortable using this lens for focus rack shots. As a third-party model, the 28-75mm G2 doesn't benefit from the breathing compensation that Sony first introduced with the a7 IV, however. Nikon cameras do not support in-camera breathing compensation.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The lens focuses very closely (at a distance of about 7.1 inches) and the best macro results are at 28mm (1:2.7 life-size). The minimum focus distance increases to about 15 inches at 75mm, but that's still good enough for decent, 1:4.1 macro results. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 offers similar macro capabilities, but the smaller 28-70mm F2.8 Contemporary doesn't focus as close—its best macro results are 1:3.3. The Nikon Z 24-120 offers up to 1:2.6 magnification, for reference.

The lens doesn't feature any image stabilization, though all but the earliest compatible a7 and all full-frame Z cameras include 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Your experience will vary based on your camera and the steadiness of your hands, but I was able to get sharp results at up to 1/4-second handheld exposures with the Sony a7R IV.

Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2: In the Lab

I paired the 28-75mm G2 with the 60MP Sony a7R IV and Imatest software to get a handle on its optical performance. It delivers good results with the high-resolution sensor at 28mm and f/2.8, showing around 3,400 lines. Resolution ticks up at narrower apertures, and the lens nets results toward the top of our scale (4,700 lines) by f/8. Image quality remains strong through f/16, but details soften at the smallest f-stops. Take care not to stop down to f/22 unless you're going after landscape shots with multi-point sunstars—the lens draws them most crisply at its narrowest f-stop.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Wide-open resolution is a little better (4,200 lines) at the 50mm focal length, and the lens delivers similarly strong results stopped down as at 28mm. Resolution at 75mm is right in line with what we see at 28mm, f-stop by f-stop. That's all good news—you can get sharp results on Sony's most demanding image sensor and come close to maximizing its potential by narrowing the aperture only a bit. The lens won't have any problem keeping up with the more mainstream 33MP sensors in the a7C II and a7 IV.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Mirrorless cameras leverage automatic corrections to compensate for distortion and vignette. If you use your camera in JPG mode, you don't have to worry about either. Raw images show some barrel distortion at wide angles, the inward pincushion effect at longer focal lengths, and a vignette at f/2.8. If you use Adobe Lightroom Classic to process files, you can apply fixes for those issues with a single click and retain the extra editing flexibility the Raw format provides.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The first edition of the lens showed the onion ring effect in highlights at 75mm, but Tamron paid attention to the bokeh quality with this revision. (Onion rings are a result of molded aspheric optics, and show as a faint pattern of concentric circular lines in defocused highlights.) The G2 optics minimize the effect and draw highlights more cleanly. It's a subtle change, but worth mentioning.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

A Worthy, Affordable, and Bright Standard Zoom

Tamron's 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 offers the same focal range and fixed f/2.8 aperture as the original, but updates the optical formula and swaps in a faster linear autofocus motor. It's well made, too, with moisture protection and anti-smudge fluorine glass. The sealed, on-lens USB-C port also comes in handy for firmware updates and fine-tuning the manual focus response. It's a competent, value-minded alternative to first-party standard zooms, but ultimately falls short of our Editors' Choice award. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art wins our top honor for Sony photographers since it starts at a wider angle and offers competitive image quality, while the outstanding Nikkor Z 24-120mm S comes out ahead for Nikon creators thanks to its broader coverage.