The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 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 50-135mm f2.8 DX is the longer of the two lenses at 135mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 55mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX also has a larger diameter of 78mm 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, which means it is 445g (52%) lighter than the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX which has a weight of 845g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has the same Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (DX) lenses are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
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
90mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a focal range of 50-135mm and 2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 75-202.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.