The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM 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. Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM is the longer of the two lenses at 199mm. The Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX with a length of 135mm, is 64mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX's 78mm 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. Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX weighs 845g, 41% (595g) lighter than the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM's weight of 1440g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM has a filter size of 77mm 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM and the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM has a focal range of 70-200mm and
2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
112 - 320mm.
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 80-216mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
