Fujifilm's X-series cameras aren't exactly short of lens options, but the company's decision to open up its mount to third-parties last year is starting to bear fruit, with Tamron expected to deliver three promising new lenses soon.
As spotted by Fuji Rumors, an interview with Tamron on Fujifilm Japan's YouTube channel suggests that the company is planning to release three new lenses for the X-mount next: a wide-angle zoom, standard zoom and telephoto zoom.
These three types of lenses have traditionally been referred to by photographers as the 'holy trinity', because collectively they cover almost any focal length or shooting situation. And an additional tip-off given to Fuji Rumors has potentially given us some more specific details about those incoming Tamron releases.
Apparently, the wide-angle zoom will be an 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD lens, while the standard zoom will be a 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD. This would make sense, as both of these lenses currently exist for the Sony E-mount, making for a relatively straightforward conversion process.
It's not yet clear what form the telephoto zoom will take, but an X-mount version of Tamron's current 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD for E-mount would likely make the most sense. It would also nicely complement the existing Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3, which was the company's first X-mount lens.
There's no indication yet about a release date or pricing for these three lenses, but we can expect to see them arrive in 2022. While pricing can vary between mounts, the current E-mount versions of these lenses give us a rough guide – the 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD costs $829 / £819 / AU$1,049, while the 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is available for $799 / £779 / AU$1,019.
Analysis: good news for Fuji fans, but where is Sigma?
When choosing a new camera system, one of the most important factors is the range of lenses that are available for the mount – and the arrival of more third-party options certainly makes the Fujifilm X-series more appealing for hobbyist shooters.
A few years ago, the system's lens range was almost exclusively made by Fujifilm. And while this guaranteed a certain level of quality, it did mean a lack of affordable options in some crucial areas – like the 50-140mm focal range, which equates to the popular 70-200mm lens choice on full-frame cameras.
Sometime last year, Fujifilm decided to open up the X-mount to third-party manufacturers, which meant the likes of Tamron could produce versions of popular lenses, like its 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD for Sony E-mount, which come with full autofocusing powers.
It seems Tamron is now following up that first X-mount lens with a few more, which promise to give Fujifilm owners some cheaper alternatives to current lenses like the XF10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR and XF16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR.
But while Tamron has forged a good reputation for its Sony E-mount lenses, many Fujifilm fans have been particularly keen to see Sigma make X-mount versions of some its excellent lenses. For the past year, Sigma has made promising noises that this could happen in 2021, but so far none have materialized.
So while the arrival of a 'holy trinity' of Tamron lenses next year will be welcomed by owners (or prospective owners) of X-series cameras, it's Sigma that Fuji fans will have a really keen eye on in 2022.
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