So what exactly is a Tamron G2 lens.

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

jhunna said:

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

ChatGPT: G2 = "Second Generation" = an improved, newer version of the Tamron lens and much more.

Klaus said:

jhunna said:

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

ChatGPT: G2 = "Second Generation" = an improved, newer version of the Tamron lens and much more.

Click to expand...

That makes sense as the 28-300 is a new lens, yet it has the same features of the G2 lenses being released during the same time frame.

jhunna said:

… the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens …

Click to expand...

G2 relative to the 28–200

jhunna said:

… does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

Tamron G2 is the refreshed / revised / improved / enhanced version of an existing lens. The focal range and the varying apertures throughout the range may be tweaked, and the VC (vibration compensation) mechanism may be added or replaced.

28–200 —> 25–200 G2

17–28 2.8 —> 16–35 2.8 G2

28–75 2.8 —> 28–75 2.8 G2

70–180 2.8 —> 70–180 2.8 G2

etc…





Cheers.

jhunna said:

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

Click to expand...

I don't think the was the consensus actually, many pointed out that the G2 moniker had mainly been used for the f2.8 trio but there were already some reasons to believe it wouldn't solely be used for that.

jhunna said:

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

A G2 is a lens that replaces the original one in the lineup, period. The 25-200 may have a different range and f-stop progression, but I think we have every reason to believe the 28-200 will be going EOL after the 25-200 is out, same for the 17-28 after the 16-30 G2.

So far all G2 have also carried an upgrade in outer shell material and button functionality, but I imagine at some point in the future there'll be a G2 or G3 version of a lens that doesn't necessarily improve on those aspects, but it'll still be replacing the preceding one in their lineup which will be discontinued.

The 28-200 wasn't discontinued after the 28-300, and neither was the 70-300 after the 50-300, ergo those didn't warrant a G2 moniker. Ultimately it's just a marketing tool, but I think the intent is pretty clear now. G2 replace EOL G1s.

I could be wrong mind you, but I think any other interpretation is over thinking their marketing intent. Guess we'll find out after the 16-35 G2 & 25-200 G2 have been out for a bit, the other G1 lenses are all already cleared out and gone.

Impulses said:

jhunna said:

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

Click to expand...

I don't think the was the consensus actually, many pointed out that the G2 moniker had mainly been used for the f2.8 trio but there were already some reasons to believe it wouldn't solely be used for that.

Click to expand...

We didn't have any none f2.8 lenses to compare so we did think it was just a reference to the f2.8 zooms. Short of Tamron telling us otherwise at that time, and there being no other examples to disprove it it was a logical conclusion/agreement between us on this forum.

Impulses said:

Impulses said:

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

A G2 is a lens that replaces the original one in the lineup, period. The 25-200 may have a different range and f-stop progression, but I think we have every reason to believe the 28-200 will be going EOL after the 25-200 is out, same for the 17-28 after the 16-30 G2.

So far all G2 have also carried an upgrade in outer shell material and button functionality, but I imagine at some point in the future there'll be a G2 or G3 version of a lens that doesn't necessarily improve on those aspects, but it'll still be replacing the preceding one in their lineup which will be discontinued.

The 28-200 wasn't discontinued after the 28-300, and neither was the 70-300 after the 50-300, ergo those didn't warrant a G2 moniker. Ultimately it's just a marketing tool, but I think the intent is pretty clear now. G2 replace EOL G1s.

I could be wrong mind you, but I think any other interpretation is over thinking their marketing intent. Guess we'll find out after the 16-35 G2 & 25-200 G2 have been out for a bit, the other G1 lenses are all already cleared out and gone.

Click to expand...

Your examples are just showing how random Tamron is with the deployment of the G2 moniker. The 50-300 should have been the G2 of the 70-300, especially seeing the 25-200 get the G2 moniker.

It is a fun discussion, but I think it is going to take more time for us outside of Tamron to determine why a lens is called G2. And really does it matter?

jhunna said:

Impulses said:

jhunna said:

I raised this question in a prior thread (I can't find it), and my initial proposition was that it was the latest version of Tamron's glass and included more controls. But the concesus became that it G2 was only referencing the f2.8 zooms 1630/2.8 and 2875/2.8, etc...

Click to expand...

I don't think the was the consensus actually, many pointed out that the G2 moniker had mainly been used for the f2.8 trio but there were already some reasons to believe it wouldn't solely be used for that.

Click to expand...

We didn't have any none f2.8 lenses to compare so we did think it was just a reference to the f2.8 zooms. Short of Tamron telling us otherwise at that time, and there being no other examples to disprove it it was a logical conclusion/agreement between us on this forum.

jhunna said:

jhunna said:

But a lens released within that time frame and with the extra controls the 28-300 is NOT a G2 lens. Yet now we have the 25-200 listed as a G2 lens. The only justification that makes sense is that it is f2.8 at the 25mm, but it isnt a constant f2.8.

Any rate does anyone have any insight into what makes a Tamron G2?

Click to expand...

A G2 is a lens that replaces the original one in the lineup, period. The 25-200 may have a different range and f-stop progression, but I think we have every reason to believe the 28-200 will be going EOL after the 25-200 is out, same for the 17-28 after the 16-30 G2.

So far all G2 have also carried an upgrade in outer shell material and button functionality, but I imagine at some point in the future there'll be a G2 or G3 version of a lens that doesn't necessarily improve on those aspects, but it'll still be replacing the preceding one in their lineup which will be discontinued.

The 28-200 wasn't discontinued after the 28-300, and neither was the 70-300 after the 50-300, ergo those didn't warrant a G2 moniker. Ultimately it's just a marketing tool, but I think the intent is pretty clear now. G2 replace EOL G1s.

I could be wrong mind you, but I think any other interpretation is over thinking their marketing intent. Guess we'll find out after the 16-35 G2 & 25-200 G2 have been out for a bit, the other G1 lenses are all already cleared out and gone.

Click to expand...

Your examples are just showing how random Tamron is with the deployment of the G2 moniker. The 50-300 should have been the G2 of the 70-300, especially seeing the 25-200 get the G2 moniker.

Click to expand...

I don't think so no, they explicitly said when they launched the 50-300 that the 70-300 would remain in the market and both would continue to be sold at different price points, and indeed they have. They did no such thing with any of the G2 and the G1 that preceded them have reached EOL and disappeared from store shelves, that's a pretty clear pattern. G2 have mostly arrived at the same price points as G1 too.

jhunna said:

It is a fun discussion, but I think it is going to take more time for us outside of Tamron to determine why a lens is called G2. And really does it matter?

Click to expand...

Well, you asked, but the examples I gave are consistent with the explanation. The 16-30 and now the 25-200 just haven't been out long enough for stock of the 17-28 & 28-200 to run out, I expect that'll take a few months. If they latter are still on sale by next summer then I think this definition of G2 is invalid, otherwise I find it hard to question it.

Impulses said:

… they explicitly said when they launched the 50-300 that the 70-300 would remain in the market and both would continue to be sold at different price points, and indeed they have.

Click to expand...

This is also my understanding.

Tamron does not consider the newer 50–300 to be the “next generation” or “evolution” of the 70–300 — nor the 50–400.



The release of the new 25–200 G2 does not necessarily mean that the existing 28–200 will be phased out. The two may co-exist on the market for a few years. AFAIK, the 17–28 has not been phased out after the 16–30 G2 was released, whereas the 28–75 has been phased out after the 28–75 G2 was released.

AshleyMC said:

Impulses said:

… they explicitly said when they launched the 50-300 that the 70-300 would remain in the market and both would continue to be sold at different price points, and indeed they have.

Click to expand...

This is also my understanding.

Tamron does not consider the newer 50–300 to be the “next generation” or “evolution” of the 70–300 — nor the 50–400.

50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A069) | Lenses | TAMRON

The page is Tamron's lens product [50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A069)]. 50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A069) is a 6x telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount that delivers outstanding convenience and image quality. Discover the groundbreaking capabilities of a 300mm telephoto...

www.tamron.com

The release of the new 25–200 G2 does not necessarily mean that the existing 28–200 will be phased out. The two may co-exist on the market for a few years. AFAIK, the 17–28 has not been phased out after the 16–30 G2 was released,

Click to expand...

The 16-30 G2 hasn't even been out for a full 3 months, give it a few more and I bet stock of the 17-28 will be depleted.

AshleyMC said:

whereas the 28–75 has been phased out after the 28–75 G2 was released.

Click to expand...

It took a while too and there were some sales in the interim, the 28-75 G2 has been out for 4 years now, the 70-180 G2 has been out for 2 years and I think there were some pretty good sales of the original 70-180 thru 2024 (G2 came out Oct '23).

I don't think it'll take years for the 17-28 stock to be depleted, but UWA are more niche so it's plausible. For now the 17-28 & 28-200 are both listed on Tamron's site whereas the other G1 have disappeared. The 70-300 is also listed, the 50-300 (which didn't replace it) came out over a year ago.

Also worth noting, there's 3 Tamron FF zooms on sale right now. The 28-75 G2 is discounted a measley $50, the 17-28 has been discounted $100 (making it $130 less than the 16-30), and the (slow selling, I'm guessing) 17-50 is $150 off. The 28-200 hasn't been discounted (yet) but it's MSRP is $100 less than that of the new 25-200.

Those are all US prices where the MSRP is generally enforced by the larger brands and where they dictate the sales, not retailers, so that's Tamron's pricing intentions essentially.

Impulses said:

Impulses said:

It is a fun discussion, but I think it is going to take more time for us outside of Tamron to determine why a lens is called G2. And really does it matter?

Click to expand...

Well, you asked, but the examples I gave are consistent with the explanation. The 16-30 and now the 25-200 just haven't been out long enough for stock of the 17-28 & 28-200 to run out, I expect that'll take a few months. If they latter are still on sale by next summer then I think this definition of G2 is invalid, otherwise I find it hard to question it.

Click to expand...

I did ask, and your explanation is consistent. But early in the process it wasn't as clear as it is now. I bring a lot of these topics up to get us chatting, but I don't think any of us are losing sleep over it.

So to complete the loop we should expect a g2 70300? I will say the improved ergos are welcomed whether they call them 1 or 2.

jhunna said:

Impulses said:

jhunna said:

It is a fun discussion, but I think it is going to take more time for us outside of Tamron to determine why a lens is called G2. And really does it matter?

Click to expand...

Well, you asked, but the examples I gave are consistent with the explanation. The 16-30 and now the 25-200 just haven't been out long enough for stock of the 17-28 & 28-200 to run out, I expect that'll take a few months. If they latter are still on sale by next summer then I think this definition of G2 is invalid, otherwise I find it hard to question it.

Click to expand...

I did ask, and your explanation is consistent. But early in the process it wasn't as clear as it is now. I bring a lot of these topics up to get us chatting, but I don't think any of us are losing sleep over it.

So to complete the loop we should expect a g2 70300? I will say the improved ergos are welcomed whether they call them 1 or 2.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't think so, the 50-300 is already an improved 70-300, and unlike the other G2s those improvements commanded a substantially higher price point, so they chose to keep both in the market. Had the 50-300 come in at a lower price point, they might've chosen to label it a G2 and discontinue the 70-300. I do think the extra customization options via USB-C and the programmable button/switch along with the more recent shell design are all welcome improvements on their most recent lenses, however they're labeled.

Looking at their current lineup of FF mirrorless zooms (since we know their primes are kinda castaways, outside of the macro), it seems the only current lenses not to benefit from that stuff is the older 70-300 and the 17-28 + 28-200. That's another reason I suspect those two aren't long for this world after the G2 have been out for a few months. There's a whooping +$400 price difference between the 70-300 and the 50-300 btw, the latter is literally twice the price. (I dunno if tariffs have impacted this)

I can understand a little confusion about why it's not a G2, but when you look at the price and the fact that the 70-300 isn't going anywhere, their branding (or lack thereof) makes a lot of sense. I think the main constant to Tamron's lineup is there'll always be a lot of 28mm end points in there.