The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 100-400mm 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. Canon RF 100-400mm is the longer of the two lenses at 165mm. The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 100mm, is 65mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 100-400mm also has a larger diameter of 80mm 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, 14% (95g) lighter than the Canon RF 100-400mm's weight of 635g.
Filter Threads
Both the Canon RF 100-400mm and the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD have the same Filter thread size of 67mm.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Canon RF 100-400mm has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon R6 V, Canon R6 III and Canon C50 for the Canon RF Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Canon RF 100-400mm has a focal range of 100-400mm and
4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160 - 640mm.
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 24-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
