The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM and the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR 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. Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 104mm. The Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM with a length of 88mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM's 82mm 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 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM weighs 575g, which means it is 135g (19%) lighter than the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR which has a weight of 710g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR:
Lens Mounts
The Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM has the Canon EF-S lens mount whereas the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Focal Range
Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM has a focal range of 15-85mm and
5.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-136mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has a focal range of 24-120mm and 5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 36 - 180mm.
