Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Ultra-Wideangle Zoom lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
E Mount cameras .
What type of photography is the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is a crucial decision factor. Below, we have assessed its suitability for various photography scenarios:
Reasons to Buy the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
Weather-sealed
Autofocus
AF/MF Switch on Lens
Aperture Ring
Focus Hold Button
Programmable Control Ring
Iris Lock
De-click Switch
Hood supplied
Full-time Manual Focusing
Internal Focusing
Zoom Lock
Fast Aperture at Wide end
Fast Aperture at Tele end
Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range
Covers Full-Frame Sensor
12 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh
Extreme Wide-angle capability
Min focus distance of 0.18m / 7.1 inch
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Lens Mount
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is compatible with cameras that have a Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5 , Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V .
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 Sony E Lens Mount
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
The size and weight are crucial factors to consider when searching for your next lens. Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a maximum diameter of 90mm and a total length of 119mm . It weighs 570g / 20.1 oz .
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a filter thread of 67mm . Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Tamron 12-20mm f2.8:
You can also check All Sony E Mount Lenses with 67mm Filter Thread Size to find the matching lenses.
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 Lens Top View
Focal Range
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a focal range of 12-20mm and 1.7X zoom ratio. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 18 - 30mm .
Weather Sealings
The Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 with a weather-sealed camera body such as the Sony FX5 , Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V .
Zoom Method
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 features Rotary (internal) zoom method where the length of the lens doesn't change while you are zooming in or out. Even though this design has a size disadvantage in general compared to extending designs, it has the benefits of better sealing against dust and moisture, no zoom creep and no weight balance shift while zooming.
Zoom Lock
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a Zoom lock feature which eliminates Zoom creep where focal length of the lens changes with gravity when it's held downwards or upwards.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.17x with a minimum focusing distance of 0.18m . 0.17x ratio is quite low, making this lens unsuitable even for modest close-up photography.
Below are the 3 Ultra-Wideangle Zoom type Sony E mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios :
Aperture
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f2.8 from 12mm all the way to the 20mm .
Focal Length
Max Aperture
Min Aperture
12mm
F2.8
F16
20mm
F2.8
F16
Optical Formula
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8's optical formula consists of 17 elements in 12 groups . The following special elements are used in this design:
1 expanded glass molded asph. 3 asph. 1 ELD 3 ED
Lens Hood
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 comes with a integrated lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos.
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 Lens Hood
What's in the Box of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8:
Tamron 12-20mm f/2.8 Lens Front Lens Cap Rear Lens Cap Limited 6-Year Manufacturer Warranty
Body Colour
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 is available in Black color.
Popular Comparisons of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8
Here are the 8 most popular comparisons of the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 Lens
In addition, it would be interesting to check which lenses from other mounts are most commonly compared with the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8.
Top Alternatives of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 in Other Lens Mounts
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