The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 50mm f1.8 II and the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is the longer of the two lenses at 135mm. The Canon 50mm f1.8 II with a length of 41mm, is 94mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Canon 50mm f1.8 II's 68mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon 50mm f1.8 II weighs 130g, which means it is 715g (84%) lighter than the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX which has a weight of 845g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 50mm f1.8 II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 50mm f1.8 II:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 50mm f1.8 II and the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Canon 50mm f1.8 II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
80mm.
On the other hand, the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a focal range of 50-135mm and 2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 80-216mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.