The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 166mm. The Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM with a length of 136mm, is 30mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM's 83mm 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 200mm f2.8L II USM weighs 765g, 16% (155g) lighter than the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro's weight of 920g.
Filter Threads
Both the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM have the same Filter thread size of 72mm.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 180mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
288mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 320mm.