After being confined for a long time to reflex lenses at aggressive prices, but offering sometimes relative sharpness, Tamron has taken the turn of hybrid photography, following in particular Sony, its second largest shareholder (11%). Since then, the Japanese optician has beefed up its game and offers very versatile “pebbles” (mainly light zooms), well constructed and with increasingly high sharpness.
Similarly, the company has diversified and provides zooms for Nikon Z-mount and Fujifilm X-mount hybrids. Moreover, the firm’s latest financial returns showed a significant improvement in sales of camera lenses. Other sectors of activity, such as lenses for surveillance cameras, have also experienced substantial growth.
To meet this growing demand, Tamron will expand its production capacities with a new Vietnamese factory, starting in January 2025. For now, the firm has three factories in Japan, in Aomori prefecture, but also two others in outside the archipelago. The first is located in China in Foshan, the second already in Vietnam in the suburbs of Hanoi.
A new 25,000 m² factory
As announced in a press release on January 26, 2023, this factory will have a total area of 25,000 m², still near the Vietnamese capital. The start of its construction is expected in October 2023 for an investment of 4 billion yen (around 28 million euros).
The Tamron Vietnam Thang Long Factory – potentially temporary name – will produce photo lenses, but also dedicated to on-board car and surveillance cameras. A good way for the brand to ensure an ever more sustainable destiny.