Announcement: 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC (Model B011)

announces the release of the 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III** VC (Model B011) for Canon mount. This lightweight, compact high-power zoom lens, originally released for Sony mount in 2011, is designed for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with APS-C sized sensors and sports a stylish design and is available in two color options.

1. This high-power, 18-200mm, lightweight and compact zoom lens weighing 460g with a 62mm filter is designed for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Equipped with Tamron’s acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens enables easy handheld shooting from 18mm wide angle to 200mm full telephoto.
2. Employing two (Low Dispersion) elements, three Molded-Glass Aspherical elements, one XR (high refractive index) element, and one Hybrid Aspherical element, the lens delivers astounding image quality by reducing aberrations to a bare minimum.
3. The lens boasts a striking appearance worthy of mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera designs. The metallic lens barrel exterior is available in two colors: black and silver.
4. The lens also has a stepping motor adopted for the AF drive, a construction that accommodates contrast detection autofocus system and shooting video. This feature also supports Direct Manual Focus (DMF) function, which allows the user to make fine manual adjustments after initially focusing by AF.

* "Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras" are also known as "Compact　System Cameras."

**Di III (Digitally integrated design): A designation Tamron gives to lenses engineered specifically for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with no internal mirror box or pentaprism, adopting an optical design that matches the characteristics of the digital camera. (Note: These lenses cannot be used with digital SLR cameras with built-in mirror box or conventional 35mm film SLR cameras).

About the stepping motor
The B011’s autofocus mechanism uses a stepping motor that is an ideal match for the contrast detection autofocus system used in mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The stepping motor’s actuator allows finely tuned control of angular rotation, and since it drives the focusing mechanism directly without an intermediate reduction gear, it also provides superbly quiet performance.

VC (Vibration Compensation)
Tamron’s VC mechanism employs a three-coil system, whereby three driving coils activate the shake-compensating VC lens group electromagnetically via three steel balls. The VC lens elements are held in place only by contact with the steel balls, achieving smooth movement with little friction. This provides a stable viewfinder image with excellent tracking performance that eliminates the blur from handheld shots for cleaner, crisper shots.

About the new VC mechanism (moving coil system)
Tamron’s conventional VC (Vibration Compensation) unit has a moving magnet system with heavy magnets in the vibration-compensating lens. However, the new VC mechanism adopts a lightweight moving coil system that reduces the load on the drive system. This allows the drive to be operated with smaller coils and magnets, reducing the weight and size for the entire VC unit. In addition, improvements to software and other elements of the VC mechanism used in the 18-200mm Di III VC have made the mechanism even quieter.

NOTE:When using Continuous AF (AF-C)　with Sony mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera series -Due to an inherent characteristic of this TAMRON lens, when using the Sports Action mode on Scene Selection, the continuous operation of the focus search function may cause some fluctuation in the LCD monitor image.  However, there will be no associated problems on photos taken in this situation.
-In other Shoot Modes (P, A, S, M), when the focus mode is set to Continuous AF (AF-C)/Servo AF, the same condition may also arise.  There will also be no associated problems on photos taken in this situation.
*As an alternative to either of the above settings, you can change the focus mode to Single-shot AF (AF-S) or Direct Manual Focus (DMF) and continue shooting.