In its six-decade history, Tamron has been a pioneer in creating and manufacturing cutting-edge, high-quality lenses for practically every imaging application. One of the company’s specific missions has been to develop a family of lightweight, compact all-in-one zoom lenses. This innovative lens lineup started with the Model 71D in 1992, a 28-200mm lens featuring a 7.1x zoom—one of the highest among SLR lenses back then (go to http://www.tamron-usa.com/B008special/html/history/ to read more about Tamron’s tradition of all-in-one zooms).

Nearly 20 years later, Tamron’s imaging ambitions on the zoom lens front has now culminated in the debut of the 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC PZD ultra-high-power zoom lens (Model B008), the world’s lightest, smallest 15x zoom optimized for use on APS-C- DSLRs. What sets this lens apart from its predecessors: the incorporation of powerful proprietary Tamron technology, including the renowned Di-II designation; enhanced Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization; and the remarkable PZD (Piezo Drive) internal autofocus drive, Tamron's first standing-wave ultrasonic motor system, designed to deliver silent, high-speed autofocus.

Despite the bevy of engineering breakthroughs in this next-generation 18-270mm lens (and, in fact, partially because of them), the Model B008 boasts a 24 percent reduction in length and 18 percent reduction in weight, weighing in at 15.9 ounces and measuring 3.8 inches in length (from mount face to the tip of the lens) and 2.9 inches in diameter, with a filter diameter of Ø62mm. The 15x zoom range offers the ultimate in compositional freedom, providing a 35mm picture angle equivalency of 28mm to 419mm and a close minimum focusing distance of 19.3 inches, whether you’re shooting wide, telephoto, or macro.

With its Di-II designation, improved VC technology, and PZD motor, the new 18-270mm lens enhances imaging efficiency across the board. The Di-II designation is given to lenses made explicitly for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sensors (measuring about 24mm x 16mm). Di-II lenses also include properties to optimize digital imaging performance.

Nothing can mar a well-composed image more than unwanted blur—but Tamron’s unique Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization system offers a dramatically stable viewfinder experience—allowing handheld shooting at as many as four shutter speeds slower than otherwise possible. Together with the Model B008’s new piezoelectric autofocus drive, capability, VC technology assures clear, stable shots even in low light or at the telephoto end.

An updated VC mechanism propels the Model B008 to the next level of compactness. The original VC system used a moving magnet system in which a heavy magnet was positioned near the moving VC lens element. The enhanced VC system in the Model B008 switches things up, reversing the positions of the magnet and the coil and actually attaching the lens element to the lightweight coil itself. This setup reduces the load on the entire drive system, and the lighter weight of the coil minimizes the weight and size of the entire lens.

Perhaps the most exciting feature of the new Model B008 lens is its piezoelectric drive (PZD), which replaces traveling-wave energy with more efficient standing-wave energy to boost autofocus performance with less weight. The concept behind this innovative drive is simple: The piezoelectric element’s metal tip is the contact point of the element to the rotor and moves in an elliptical motion from the swiveling motion of the moving element; the friction from this motion turns the rotor for a smoother, more precise autofocus. Plus, standing-wave ultrasonic motors boast a smaller size than traveling-wave versions—resulting in a smaller, more lightweight lens overall.

Photographers who are shooting wildlife, live performances, and sports where silence is paramount will especially appreciate the PZD that’s incorporated into the new 18-270mm lens. In previous Tamron all-in-one zooms, a DC motor was built into the autofocus unit, mainly due to its cost efficiency and sophisticated control technology. The piezo elements that drive the AF unit in the Model B008 lens, however, change in shape when impressed, ensuring silent operation when you need it most.

The 18-270mm Di-II VC PZD (Model B008) zoom lens for Canon and Nikon mounts was released in December; a Sony-compatible mount is scheduled for a later date. The Model B008 is the second lens released to commemorate Tamron’s 60th anniversary (the SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD telephoto zoom was released in the fall of 2010)—a fitting way to celebrate 60 years of imaging innovation with the most innovative all-in-one zoom of all.