The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro and the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM 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 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM with a length of 52mm, is 65mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM's 70mm 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. Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM weighs 175g, 71% (434g) lighter than the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro's weight of 609g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM 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 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro and the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Canon EF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
135mm.
On the other hand, the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 127.5mm.