Tamron has often launched E-Mount versions first, but the popular third-party lens brand may be moving towards bringing more mounts to market without the wait. At the CP+ show in Japan in February this year, Tamron hinted that the Sony E-mount would no longer be the third-party lens manufacturer's first mount to launch.
Speaking to DP Review at the trade show in Yokohama, Kei Nagai, section manager of Tamron's overseas sales department, said: "In the past, we often expanded to other systems after launching the Sony E-mount. However, with recent releases like the 16-30mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and the upcoming 35-100mm F/2.8 Di III VXD, we are moving toward simultaneous multi-mount launches."
Nagai went on to explain that Tamron is shifting its focus to take an “essential holistic” view of the entire market to better determine which mounts to prioritize going forward.
Tamron has been a leading producer of more affordable, high-performing E-mount lenses than those crafted by Sony itself, and a major part of its previous Sony-first approach was Sony’s early adoption of mirrorless technology and subsequent rapid expansion of its mirrorless offerings.
However, other major camera brands, most notably, Canon and Nikon, have since closed the gap on Sony and now boast their own diverse mirrorless camera ranges.
Tamron has already started launching Nikon Z mounts at the same time as the E mount with the 16-30mm G2, although the Nikon variant shipped about a month later.
Canon in particular poses an interesting prospect for Tamron going forward as a mount that has been more hesitant to welcome third-party lenses, particularly for full-frame and autofocus.
In a different interview that also took place at this year’s CP+ show, albeit between Canon and French photography news outlet, Phototrend, Canon executives indicated that "collaboration with new third-party lens manufacturers will intensify in the future, but there may be some restrictions."
However, the Canon executive made no comment on the prospect of third-party autofocus lenses for full-frame Canon RF cameras which, currently, remains largely limited.
Another factor playing into Tamron’s decision to broaden its focus could be what it sees as threat from other third-party lens companies. Viltrox stands out as a prime example as the rapidly-growing Chinese company already has an array of budget-friendly lenses for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount, and Fujifilm X-mount.
Tamron isn’t leaving Sony behind with this latest announcement; after all, the E-mount system has been the most lucrative for the off-brand lens producer. However, Tamron is definitely vying on a future with a more diversified mount selection at launch.
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