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Nikon Z8 FW 3.0 and Tamron Z mount lenses

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Berend Botje

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I thought I'd start a new thread specifically about the current compatibility of Tamron Z mount lenses and the new Z8 firmware because to me the situation is a bit confusing. So maybe it is for others, too, and together we may get some clarity

From the large thread about the FW 3.0 that PLShutterbug started ( https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/68336787 ) I have learned that some lenses seem to be working fine - especially the TAMRIKON lenses (please correct me if I am wrong) but about others there is some contradictory information. For instance

The 35-150mm seems to work/not work but this may depend on the FW of the lens.

The 70-300mm seems to work/not work but I am not aware of a lens FW update that might make a difference.

So if you want, please give your experience with Z mount Tamron lenses (F mount would be helpful too if they are identified as such) and be sure to list the FW of the lens that you currently have installed.

Thank you
 
Last edited:
I was just about to start a similar thread but then I found this one.

After updating to FW 3.00 both my tamron 28-75 G2 and 35-150 stopped working completely, just like many others have reported - no AF and no aperture setting being communicated to the camera.

I downloaded the Tamron Lens Utility software and checked if there were any firmware updates for my lenses, which was both on firmware 1 initially. After updating them to the most recent firmware (firmware 2, released on May 30th 2024) both lenses seems to work on the Z8 with FW 3.00.

I have only done a quick basic function test so far, and I'm pretty sure the focus limiter won't work. But at least the lenses are usable again now.
 
Berend Botje said:
I thought I'd start a new thread specifically about the current compatibility of Tamron Z mount lenses and the new Z8 firmware because to me the situation is a bit confusing. So maybe it is for others, too, and together we may get some clarity

From the large thread about the FW 3.0 that PLShutterbug started ( https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/68336787 ) I have learned that some lenses seem to be working fine - especially the TAMRIKON lenses (please correct me if I am wrong) but about others there is some contradictory information. For instance

The 35-150mm seems to work/not work but this may depend on the FW of the lens.

The 70-300mm seems to work/not work but I am not aware of a lens FW update that might make a difference.

So if you want, please give your experience with Z mount Tamron lenses (F mount would be helpful too if they are identified as such) and be sure to list the FW of the lens that you currently have installed.

Thank you
Click to expand...
I have the Nikon Z 28-75 lens. It works fine with Z8 firmware 3.0. I had no doubt about that because it’s a Nikon branded product leveraging Nikon developed lens firmware.
 
JA_Johnson said:
I have the Nikon Z 28-75 lens. It works fine with Z8 firmware 3.0. I had no doubt about that because it’s a Nikon branded product leveraging Nikon developed lens firmware.
Click to expand...
The Nikon Z 28-75mm/f2.8 is technically a Nikon Nikkor lens, along with the 17-28mm/f2.8 and 70-180mm/f2.8. They carry the Nikon brand name, although the optics were designed and probably manufactured by Tamron, and those lenses are likely manufactured at Tamron's factory in China, rather than Nikon's factory in China.

Nikon may have shared their Z body/lens communication protocol specifications with Tamron, but there are always different interpretations of the specs. That is why in the early days of CFexpress, certain memory cards are not compatible with certain cameras, as some new cameras were not yet available for all the memory card manufacturers to do thorough testing. Those wrinkles were ironed out in a few months.

I have little doubt that Tamron will come up with firmware patches to fix this issue in short order, within weeks if not days. Some of the third-party adapters had firmware fixes within a day since the Z8 FW 3.0 was introduced.
 
shuncheung said:
JA_Johnson said:
I have the Nikon Z 28-75 lens. It works fine with Z8 firmware 3.0. I had no doubt about that because it’s a Nikon branded product leveraging Nikon developed lens firmware.
Click to expand...
The Nikon Z 28-75mm/f2.8 is technically a Nikon Nikkor lens, along with the 17-28mm/f2.8 and 70-180mm/f2.8. They carry the Nikon brand name, although the optics were designed and probably manufactured by Tamron, and those lenses are likely manufactured at Tamron's factory in China, rather than Nikon's factory in China.

Nikon may have shared their Z body/lens communication protocol specifications with Tamron, but there are always different interpretations of the specs. That is why in the early days of CFexpress, certain memory cards are not compatible with certain cameras, as some new cameras were not yet available for all the memory card manufacturers to do thorough testing. Those wrinkles were ironed out in a few months.

I have little doubt that Tamron will come up with firmware patches to fix this issue in short order, within weeks if not days. Some of the third-party adapters had firmware fixes within a day since the Z8 FW 3.0 was introduced.
Click to expand...
I know that the 28-75 leverages the Tamron optical formula. My point was that as a Nikon branded lens it leverages firmware for which Nikon is responsible and the lens was tested to ensure compatibility with firmware 3.0. Apparently not so with some of the Tamron branded lenses.
 
I just checked my 150-500 Tamron on the lens utility software 5 minutes ago ( July 4, 11:55am) No update published yet.
 
I have the Tamron 50-400mm A067 lens, which is not working at all with the Nikon 3.0 firmware. There is no firmware update on Tamron's site for the Nikon mount, so I imagine this lens has the original firmware.

Kevin
 
I have the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8. I updated to the most recent firmware for that lens last year and when I updated the Z8 to 3.0 a couple of days ago, the Tamron still works just fine. I have not tried to set the focus limiter, so no idea if that's functional, but I don't need it for this lens.
 
saidk said:
I was just about to start a similar thread but then I found this one.

After updating to FW 3.00 both my tamron 28-75 G2 and 35-150 stopped working completely, just like many others have reported - no AF and no aperture setting being communicated to the camera.

I downloaded the Tamron Lens Utility software and checked if there were any firmware updates for my lenses, which was both on firmware 1 initially. After updating them to the most recent firmware (firmware 2, released on May 30th 2024) both lenses seems to work on the Z8 with FW 3.00.

I have only done a quick basic function test so far, and I'm pretty sure the focus limiter won't work. But at least the lenses are usable again now.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this information
 
Berend Botje said:
saidk said:
I was just about to start a similar thread but then I found this one.

After updating to FW 3.00 both my tamron 28-75 G2 and 35-150 stopped working completely, just like many others have reported - no AF and no aperture setting being communicated to the camera.

I downloaded the Tamron Lens Utility software and checked if there were any firmware updates for my lenses, which was both on firmware 1 initially. After updating them to the most recent firmware (firmware 2, released on May 30th 2024) both lenses seems to work on the Z8 with FW 3.00.

I have only done a quick basic function test so far, and I'm pretty sure the focus limiter won't work. But at least the lenses are usable again now.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
This would indicate that Tamron knows what changes to the firmware for other lenses need to be made. I hope they implement those changes quickly, having to wait erodes confidence in the brand
 
saidk said:
I was just about to start a similar thread but then I found this one.

After updating to FW 3.00 both my tamron 28-75 G2 and 35-150 stopped working completely, just like many others have reported - no AF and no aperture setting being communicated to the camera.

I downloaded the Tamron Lens Utility software and checked if there were any firmware updates for my lenses, which was both on firmware 1 initially. After updating them to the most recent firmware (firmware 2, released on May 30th 2024) both lenses seems to work on the Z8 with FW 3.00.

I have only done a quick basic function test so far, and I'm pretty sure the focus limiter won't work. But at least the lenses are usable again now.
Click to expand...
I have the 28-75 G2 and it functions just fine with respect to AF, aperture, etc., though I haven't attempted to use it with the focus limiter on. I suspect it would probably just gray out in the menu. FWIW, I had updated to FW 3.0 with a Z-mount lens on the body.
 
My Tamron Z 50–500mm zoom no longer works after upgrading to 3.0 on my Z8.
 
I updated my Tamron 28-75 G2 to FW 2 (was on FW1) a few days ago just to try the lens utility.

Today, I updated my Z8 from FW 2.10 to FW 3.0 (with a Nikon lens attached) and the Tamron 28-75 G2 seems to work fine after the update.

I tried the focus-limiter for a bit (it does allow to enable it with the Tamron lens attached), but it measures every distance as 999 or 995 m, so I don't think that the limiter will work in combination with the Tamron lens.
 
I am not going to update my Z8 to the new firmware until they release a revision that doesn't brick Tamron lenses. I attempted to update the firmware on my Tamron 28-75 f2.8 G2 but found out that Tamron doesn't support the current version of macOS, only older versions. Once they can update their firmware software to run on the current version of macOS I'll be able to get my lens updated. It is still on firmware 1.0.

I don't need any of the new features added to the camera for the style of photography I do. AF performance is outstanding compared to my Z7, which will be sold to help pay for the Z8.
 
Tamron Service confirmed that their 28-75 2.8 G2lenses will not support the focus limiter feature for now and they cannot tell whether the headquaters in Japan will decide to create a firmware which reports correct distance in a way that the focus limiter works.

Can anyone confirm whether the Nikon branded 28-75 2.8 can use the focus Limiter?

Is anyone else with a native Z mount Tamron lens or a 75-180 2.8 able to get correct distance measurements with the focus limiter feature?
 
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