Tamron 28-75mm G2 (Model A063): On Assignment with Zhang Tianhang

Pet Photography with Zhang Tianhang and the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 (Model A063)

Zhang explains his use of the new Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 while on assignment: I had the opportunity to try out the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 (Model A063), a fast-aperture standard zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras that has been newly released by TAMRON. I am a photographer who specializes in pet photography, and I take pictures while interacting with the pets. As I hold the camera in one hand and shooting from various different angles, the sense of bulk in both the camera body and the lens is something very important to me. The 28-75mm F2.8 G2 is lightweight and compact, making it really easy to handle. It has a solid construction and clean exterior design. The zoom ring has a moderate sense of torque, and the smooth design fits comfortably in the hands. The compact size makes it easy to handle, and overall the lens gives off a sophisticated vibe.

The 28-75mm focal length range is a little longer than the most common 24-70mm range, and while it may seem a subtle difference at first glance, I felt it was very effective for pet photography. Particularly when shooting at the telephoto end outdoors, the slightly longer focal length range enables me to shoot from further away. It also expands the range of shooting distances for when shooting pets as they move around. This focal length was quite useful for shooting pets from a distance of between 0.5 to 10m. When I need an extreme perspective or a wide field of view, I usually switch to an ultra-wide or fisheye lens, but with a standard zoom, the focal length at the telephoto end is more important than the angle of view at the wide end.

In terms of optical performance I was impressed with the excellent color reproducibility. If the lighting is good when you are shooting, you can capture the colors you want as is, and you hardly need to make any adjustments in post. I shot with the lens attached by the Sony α7R IV. The image sharpness was good, there was sharp image quality and detail in the areas that were in focus, and I was able to obtain even better rendering free from distortion.

When taking photos of pets outdoors, I try to control a relatively shallow depth of field, to produce as much bokeh as possible from the trees and leaves behind the pet, which lets the main subject stand out. The bokeh effects produced by the 28-75mm F2.8 G2 are very natural, giving my photos a soft feel.

Now, what I care about the most is focus speed. Pets are very active when they move around and your shots can be out of focus if you're not careful. That is why both the camera and lens need high focusing performance. No matter how good the focusing performance of the camera body is, it's pointless if the lens cannot keep up. Given that, I put the focusing speed of the 28-75mm F2.8 G2 to the test in various ways, and the results far exceeded my expectations. The lens makes full use of the camera body's focusing system, and particularly when shooting a pet running towards me from far away, the lens faithfully tracked the pet's face all the way. The 28-75mm F2.8 G2 demonstrated extremely high performance.