The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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. Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 127mm. The Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro with a length of 97mm, is 30mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro's 72mm 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 90mm f2.8 Macro weighs 405g, which means it is 321g (44%) lighter than the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM which has a weight of 726g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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 90mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is also available in Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
144mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 168mm.