Normally, I inform you about good deals and new sales in my regular Photography News articles. This time, however, I am making an exception because last Sunday was too early and next Sunday will be too late. Today I received a message from our partners at B&H Photo about a short but massive sale. I’ve scanned the items in the Photography section and picked out what I personally found interesting (see below). More discounts await you in the Computer and Lighting sections. The sale ends on June 22 at 11:59 PM EDT, so you’ll have to be quick.

It takes more than a pretty website and an 800 number to become the largest global online platform to buy, sell or trade used photo and video gear. A lot more. Photo and video creators are a shrewd bunch who know the value of imaging equipment and have little patience for grifters. MPB has become the top spot for selling and swapping photo items. Here are nine of the many reasons why.

1 – Customer Satisfaction & Repeat Customers
An exceptionally high level of customer satisfaction is reflected in MPB’s 5.0 rating on Trustpilot where more than 26,000 people have posted their reviews. With a base of more than 625,000 photo and video storyteller customers worldwide, MPB earned its sterling reputation for integrity and fair dealings by providing a fast, easy and secure way to exchange photo gear without hassle or disappointment. Trade, upgrade and get paid—it’s really that simple.

2 – You Can Buy, Sell & Trade
MPB provides convenient 1-stop shopping so you can sell your underused equipment or trade it in toward gear you really want. Their vast inventory plus high turnover means greater selection of camera bodies, lenses, drones and key accessories. Every camera and lens is sold with a 6-month warranty from MPB. What’s more, the camera or lens pictured in every online listing is the actual item you receive—no stock photos or blurry, indistinct shots that obscure nicks and dings.

MPB recirculates more than 485,000 pieces of photo equipment every year. On average, customers earn $900 each time they sell to MPB.

3 – Free Instant Online Quotes
MPB provides free instant online quotes. Their dynamic pricing engine constantly analyzes market data. Instant quotes are guaranteed for 14 days. Pending inspection, you know precisely what your gear is worth. You can make informed decisions—unlike auction websites where you’re never really sure until the last moment when the bidding ends. Get cold feet? MPB allows you to change your mind right up until the transaction is consummated.

And by the way, if the inspection outcome is better than expected, MPB increases the payment amount. Who else does that?

4 – Clear and Honest 5-point Condition Rating System
Whether you’re trading, selling or buying, the 5-point Condition Rating System makes is easy to evaluate your gear so that everyone’s expectations match.

• Like New (mint condition, only minor wear)

• Excellent (minimal signs of wear, otherwise pristine)

• Good (fair amount of use, but well-kept and may have marks or scratches)

• Well Used (significant use, noticeable signs of wear and tear)

• Heavily Used (significant signs of wear and tear, primary functions still work)

If you’re unsure or need some guidance when inspecting your equipment, MPB’s online video guide tells you everything you need to know about the five condition ratings.

5 – Free Pickup & Free Shipping
After you receive your instant quote and decide to move forward with the transaction, MPB pays for inbound shipping and even arranges to have the items picked up at your home. No need to visit the Post Office or express shipping store. Save money and enjoy the convenience of working with the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear.

6 – Fast Payment
Once your equipment has been received by MPB it’s inspected to confirm your appraisal of the condition. If everything is copacetic, MPB deposits the proceeds directly to your bank within about two days.

7 – Customer Service
With more than 350 employees worldwide and offices in Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, MPB is ideally suited to help you every step of the way should need arise. Most of your questions can be answered via MPB’s Online Help Center which is available 24/7. Need more help? Contact a member of their expert support team via live chat or telephone.   

8 – Free, Useful Resources for All Photo and Video Storytellers
MPB is not just another store, it’s a useful and generous resource for original content covering multiple aspects of photography and videography. Articles include product reviews, interviews, how-to articles, pro tips, gear guides, videos, competitions and much more. MPB also delivers a newsletter that’s full of worthwhile information of interest to all photo and video storytellers.

9 – MPB EDU Values Education
If you’re a student or an educator, MPB has special offers, discount codes, guides, competitions and more for students and staff members. Visit MPB EDU to learn more.

Join the MPB community. Set up a free account. When you do you can unlock faster checkout, manage your transactions online and have a more enriched shopping experience. Plus you’ll get access to exclusive offers, creative news and original content.

∞ Shutterbug Staff

This weekend, I took advantage of one of the last good opportunities in my area to photograph birds. Summer will be here soon, which is a kind of dead season for a few long weeks. At least here in Central Europe.  I almost didn’t put my Nikon Z9 away for the last three days (not even when I was busy tasting excellent wines in renowned wine cellars in South Moravia). When I was tasting about the fourth sample, a hare appeared out of nowhere. It was already quite dark, so I had to focus manually. So I will start today’s Photography News with last night’s hare.

Tamron just introduced the 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD fast-aperture, ultra-wideangle zoom lens for the Fujifilm X-Mount, and Shutterbug was able to take it for an extended spin. Although it covers more than 105° at the 11mm focal length, it features close-focusing down to 5.9 inches, prompting us to propose that it enables a wholly new type of photographic composition: Ultra-Wide Closeup.

Overview & First Impressions
Wow, this is a lot more than just another ultra-wideangle wideangle zoom. Providing 16.5-30mm (35mm equivalent) zoom coverage, the new Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD for Fujifilm mirrorless cameras apparently thinks it’s a closeup lens, and has the performance chops to back it up.

Note that this lens is nearly identical to the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 zoom that was launched for the Sony E-mount in 2021. Nearly everything written here can be applied to the Sony APS-C mount version as well.

The never shrinking (i.e., available at all focal lengths) f/2.8 aperture combined with a minimum subject distance of 5.9 inches at 11mm and 9.4 inches at 20mm opens the gateway to all-new avenues of creative expression. At the widest setting, the max reproduction ratio is 1:4. More importantly, photos shot at close range look different compared to closeups shot with other lenses. You can be creative with the perspective and have more fun with the background.

It’s exceptional at normal working distances, too. The zoom range is ideal for interior shots, cityscapes and landscapes and we noticed virtually zero distortion or vignetting. At the 30mm setting it’s excellent for street shooting although we’d probably opt for the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD for random urban portraits. Come to think of it, the ideal setup would be to have both.

Personally, I think bokeh is overrated as a creative element, but I must confess that I enjoyed exploiting the bokeh delivered by the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8. At 11mm the depth of field is extensive, but at the 20mm (30mm equivalent) the bokeh was very impressive.

Another lasting impression is the compact size and light weight. The Tamron 11-20mm zoom is only 3.4 inches long and has diameter of 2.87 inches at the fattest part. And it weighs but 11.8 ounces. This means that it belongs in your bag on every outing, even if you’re planning to use other lenses predominantly, because packing and carrying it is so easy. Needless to add, this zoom is an excellent choice for travel, and that’s for more reasons that’s it compact dimensions.

It’s a fun lens to use indoors and out. And it delivers razor-sharp still images and video with outstanding color.

Specifications & Features

Autofocus Design
The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 uses their proprietary RXD motor unit. RXD is an abbreviation for Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive. It utilizes an actuator to control the rotational angle of the motor, thereby directly driving the focusing lens without use of a reduction gear. The result is autofocus that is very accurate and very fast. It’s also very quiet which is a major boon to video shooters.

In actual use we found the AF to be exceptionally smooth and fast, with zero lag time and extreme accuracy on a Fujifilm X-T5.

Uniform 67mm Filter Size for Ease and Economy
It may seem like an insignificant detail, but the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 zoom features the same 67mm filter size that’s shared by nearly every model in Tamron’s mirrorless lens lineup. This is an important benefit if you use filters—easily switch an expensive polarizer from one lens to the other instead of buying two filters of different sizes. It’s also a timesaver when you change lenses because you can interchange lens caps without fumbling in your bag.

Weather Protection for Outdoor Safeguards
The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 zoom has weather seals strategically located at the lens mount and other areas to help prevent against water and dust ingress. The front surface of the first element is coated with an oleophobic fluorine compound to deflect fingerprints and facilitate removal of dust.

Despite weather sealing, we always caution readers to protect their cameras and lenses from the elements at all times. This is a general warning we provide for all brands and models.

Exterior Construction: Fit & Finish
Overall mechanical construction is superb. The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 mounts on a Fujifilm body with authority and stays tight. The finish is an attractive matte black that looks great on both black and silver-color cameras.

The zoom ring rotates fully from 11mm to 20mm in about one-quarter of a turn, making it fast and simple to go from ultra-wide to near normal. The focusing ring, should you ever need it, turns freely and smoothly. All-in-all the construction is the equal to any lens we’ve reviewed.

Optical Construction
The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 ultra-wideangle zoom features 12 elements in 10 groups. The optical design includes one XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), two LD (Low Dispersion) and two Molded Glass Aspherical lens elements that effectively control aberrations (including axial chromatic aberrations). Glass surfaces are enhanced with Tamron’s own BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) to minimize ghosting and flare and improve results under backlit conditions.

Performance Summary
The images we captured with the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 were consistently sharp from edge to edge at all focal lengths and all apertures. We were frankly shocked by the exceptional close-focusing performance and we shot many more closeups than we expected to, considering that it’s an ultra wideangle zoom.

Color rendition, contrast and lifelike fidelity were spot on. We experienced virtually zero distortion and could not detect any level of fringing or other critical aberrations.

Conclusion
Walkaround photographers’ dream optic or the key to unlocking dramatic ultra-wideangle closeups? Both. At a price well under $1000 we can confidently say that Tamron’s 11-20mm f/2.8 zoom makes a valued addition to any Fujifilm shooter’s lens arsenal.

Price & Availability
The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD zoom lens for the Fujifilm APS-C mirrorless cameras is available now. The price is $829 and the lens can be purchased from your local authorized Tamron dealer. To find one near you, click this Dealer Locator. Shop local; save our shrinking photo specialty store base.

Additionally, the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 may be ordered from Amazon. Visit the Tamron Store on Amazon to check out other Tamron lenses.

For a behind the scenes look at Tamron’s Foshan factory, read Production Process of a Tamron Lens. 

—Jon Sienkiewicz

 

(As an Amazon Associate, Shutterbug earns from qualifying purchases linked in this story.)