The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD 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. Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is the longer of the two lenses at 100mm. The Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD with a length of 84mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD also has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD's 74mm 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 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD weighs 430g, 20% (110g) lighter than the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD's weight of 540g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the SuperZoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD has a 62mm 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 Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD is also available in Nikon F (DX) , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a focal range of 16-300mm and
18.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
25.6-480mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD has a focal range of 18-250mm and 13.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28.8-400mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.