Tamron’s new dongle lets you wirelessly control your lens from your phone

Source: The Verge

Tamron has announced a new USB‑C dongle that wirelessly connects compatible lenses to mobile devices and laptops so they can be customized and controlled remotely. It works with 16 of the company’s lenses to start. The $50 Tamron‑Link dongle is available now, and while its Bluetooth range is limited to just over 16 feet, it’s one less cable you’ll need to wrangle during a shoot.

Compatibility

The dongle works with a variety of Tamron Sony E, Nikon Z, and Canon RF APS‑C lenses, according to PetaPixel (source). Support for additional lenses is expected through future firmware updates.

Tamron Lens Utility App

The dongle connects the lenses to the Tamron Lens Utility app, introduced last June. The app is available for:

• iOS and iPadOS – App Store
• Android – Google Play
• PCs and Macs – Download

Why use the app?

The app isn’t required to operate Tamron lenses, but it adds advanced functionality useful for both video and still photography:

• Focus markers – Set multiple focus positions and define transition times, enabling automated focus shifts (e.g., rack‑focus between subjects).
• Focus range limiting – Prevent the lens from focusing on distant background elements when tracking a moving subject.
• Ring direction & behavior – Reverse or customize the direction of focus and aperture rings, and toggle between linear and non‑linear focus adjustments.
• Button customization – Assign custom functions to lens buttons.
• Firmware updates – Update lens firmware over Bluetooth (slightly slower than wired updates but more convenient).

These features can streamline shoots that would otherwise require a full crew of camera operators.