The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX and the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD 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 AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX is the longer of the two lenses at 106mm. The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 100mm, is 6mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD's 75mm 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 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD weighs 540g, 25% (185g) lighter than the Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX's weight of 725g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX has a filter size of 82mm whereas the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD 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 82mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX and the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD 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.
Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tokina AT-X 14-20mm F2 Pro DX has a focal range of 14-20mm and
1.4X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
22.4-32mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the 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.