The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX and the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS 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. Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is the longer of the two lenses at 60mm. The Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM with a length of 52mm, is 8mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM's 68mm 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 28mm f2.8 IS USM weighs 260g, 23% (80g) lighter than the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX's weight of 340g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX and the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM 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 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
56mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 44.8mm.