The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM and the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro 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 12-28mm f4 Pro DX is the longer of the two lenses at 90mm. The Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM with a length of 72mm, is 18mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM's 75mm 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 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM weighs 240g, which means it is 290g (54%) lighter than the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX which has a weight of 530g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX:
Lens Mounts
The Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM has the Canon EF-S lens mount whereas the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF Mount.
Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM has a focal range of 10-18mm and
1.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
16-28.8mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has a focal range of 12-28mm and 2.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 19.2-44.8mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.