On the whole, lenses tend to fit into a few clear categories: wideangle zoom, standard zoom, and so on. But the Tamron 20-40mm F/2.8 Di III VXD is a little different. Designed for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, it’s one of a recent spate of lenses that start at 20mm – wider than most standard zooms, but narrower than other wideangle zooms – and then extend into ‘standard’ territory. But in contrast to the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and the Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G, it provides an f/2.8 maximum aperture, albeit with a short 2x zoom range. It really is one of a kind.
This does beg the question, though, of who and what the lens is for? Photographers adding a wideangle zoom to their existing kit will likely be tempted to get something wider, such as the Tamron 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD or the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN. But the clue comes
