This new "first-ever" lens isn't in stores yet, but I already tried it – with surprising results

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Thypoch has teased its first-ever autofocus zoom lens – but I've already shot with the upcoming lens at The Photography & Video Show earlier this month in Birmingham, UK.

The forthcoming lens, officially announced in this Instagram post , is a 24-50mm f/2.8 for Sony E-mount.

In itself, a 24-50mm zoom doesn't sound that cool; after all, there are more than a few of these on the market, but this marks Thypoch's first foray into zoom and AF lenses. In fact, it's believed to be the first autofocus zoom lens from a China-based company , marking a significant milestone in the growth of Chinese third-party lenses .

Until now, the Chinese company had made a name for itself as a manufacturer of affordable, retro-style, manual focus-only prime lenses.

The upcoming full-frame 24-50mm AF E-mount features aperture and manual focus rings, which move smoothly with a nice level of resistance, and there's a handy MF/AF button on the lens barrel too.

Despite the plastic build, the lens felt solid in hand, and Thypoch has gone with a modern, slick aesthetic which looks similar to competitors, notably the Samyang 24-60mm f/2.8 .

Using the Thypoch 24-50mm E-mount lens attached to my Sony A7 III , I snapped a few pictures of the also yet-to-be-released Thypoch 35mm ASPH prime lens for Leica M-mount.

The f/2.8 was bright, and the AF locked on in a respectable time, although it didn't seem to like the fluorescent indoor lighting too much.

I tried eliciting more information about the lens' internal build while speaking to the Thypoch representatives at The Photography & Video Show.

But despite what I thought was a slick line of questioning, they "knew nothing" about the lens beyond what was visible, or were at least well-trained actors – I'd say the latter.

Thypoch hasn't announced when the forthcoming FE 24-50mm AF lens will be released and if it'll put out variants for other camera mounts either, but, as a Sony shooter, I'm eagerly awaiting.

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Read our guide to the best Sony lenses , which include top-tier G Masters. Or, for something friendlier on your wallet, see our review of the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN , which the coming Thypoch zoom lens will be competing against.