The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd and the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD 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. Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd with a length of 48mm, is 69mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd's 64mm 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. HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd weighs 270g, which means it is 165g (37%) lighter than the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD which has a weight of 435g.
Filter Threads
The HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD:
Lens Mounts
Both the HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd and the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
HD Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Ltd is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 77mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
115.5mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.
