Abbreviation: XR = "Extra Refractive Index Glass" (Tamron)

The abbreviation XR means "Extra Refractive Index Glass" and is seen on Tamron products.

Explanation from Tamron

XR (Extra Refractive Index) glass can bend light rays at steeper angles, thereby decreasing the physical length of the lens while enhancing imaging performance by minimizing optical aberrations. This has allowed Tamron to develop a line of shorter, smaller-diameter, lighter lenses without sacrificing lens speed, and actually upgrading image quality compared to older designs. XR glass is costlier than conventional glass but it yields enhanced optical power distribution, making possible many of the outstanding and innovative lens designs that bear the XR designation. XR glass, with its superior light-bending power, makes it possible to design a short-barrel lens with the same light-gathering ability (aperture value) as a long-barrel lens—even with a smaller lens diameter. By using this principle Tamron has been able to shorten the length of the entire optical system and produce lighter, more compact lenses of the same speed, and also to provide greater zoom ranges in lenses that are much

See examples of effected products

	Tamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 XR Di II
	Tamron 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 XR Di II
	Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di-II LD Asph IF

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