The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro 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. Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 115mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 35mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro's 73mm 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. Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro weighs 400g, 57% (545g) lighter than the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro's weight of 945g.
Filter Threads
The Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro 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.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro 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 Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.