Nikon Looks to be Rehousing Tamron Lenses for its Mirrorless Cameras

Nikon’s first-party lens help for its Z-mount mirrorless cameras has been rising quickly over the previous few years to just about 30 optics. However to help that fast development, the corporate seems to be buying Tamron designs and rehousing them to look as Nikon originals.

Final night time, Nikon introduced a brand new 17-28mm f/2.8 lens for its full-frame Z-mount cameras. Nevertheless, some have seen that this lens bears a placing resemblance to the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 for Sony E-mount cameras that was initially launched in 2019.

On the surface, the lenses look to be about the identical measurement and form however have clearly totally different branding. Because the Tamron lens was initially made for E-mount, the scale and weight do differ from Nikon’s new lens. For instance, the Tamron unique weighs 420 grams whereas the Nikon model weighs 450 grams.

Whereas some exterior adjustments are to be anticipated, the inside seems to be unchanged. Evaluating the optical association of the inside association of glass optics, the 2 lenses look equivalent.

The similarities are additional exemplified after analyzing the MTF charts, which additionally look like extraordinarily related, if not equivalent:

This isn’t the primary time that Nikon has been accused of rehousing what was initially a Tamron lens. Final yr, Nikon launched a 28-75mm f/2.8 that, like the most recent 17-28mm f/2.8, bore striking resemblance to a Tamron lens that was launched only a few months prior, the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2.

Nikon had not offered a response to PetaPixel’s request for remark by the point of publication, which isn’t all that shocking; it’s unlikely that the corporate will say something publicly given the delicate nature of this matter. Right now, all anybody can do is speculate that these lenses from two totally different corporations are actually the identical lens.

It’s not essentially an issue that Nikon is doing this, since these two Tamron lenses will not be being made accessible in Z-mount, so it’s not like Nikon is charging extra for a lens that may very well be bought for cheaper (like a name-brand medicine versus the generic on the shelf at Goal). That mentioned, it’s fairly uncommon to see a serious digicam and lens producer lean on what quantities to a competitor with the intention to construct out a strong first-party lens lineup.

Tamron and Nikon clearly have a reasonably cozy relationship, illustrated not solely by this association the place Nikon will merely rehouse a Tamron-developed optic but additionally in Nikon’s willingness to work with Tamron as an official licensee to its Z-mount, a undeniable fact that PetaPixel confirmed earlier this month.

This additionally isn’t a state of affairs that makes up a majority of Nikon’s new Z-mount lenses — fairly the alternative, truly. Nikon remains to be producing the overwhelming majority of its first-party lenses in-house, leaning on Tamron in solely a choose couple of circumstances. That mentioned, it’s unlikely this would be the final time this case comes up.