Tamron Design Stakes Claim to 135mm

Tamron, as the rumored manufacturer of the Zeiss Batis line of lenses – home of the well-regarded Batis 135 f/2.8 – appears to be planning a release of its own branded 135mm offering at that maximum aperture. A patent application for a Tamron lens design shows it to be significantly simpler than the Zeiss-branded offering, as well it should, as Zeiss sued Samyang two years ago, accusing it of copying that very lens.

The 135mm focal length, long considered a niche prime for portrait shooters, has enjoyed an explosion of new options in the past few years, dating to Sigma’s release of the 135mm f/1.8 Art lens almost four years ago.

The f/2.8 aperture was once considered “fast” for the focal length, with the Canon f/2 version previously thought of as an exoticly fast prime. But ever since Sigma’s entry, manufacturers have been trying to out-bonkers one another, with new lens rumors regularly speculating about f/1.4 variants. In this context, a Tamron f/2.8 would be on-brand for the third party maker, providing the reasonable person’s option in size and cost.