The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro and the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro 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 90mm f2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 97mm. The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro with a length of 81mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro's 53mm 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. Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro weighs 289g, which means it is 116g (28%) lighter than the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro which has a weight of 405g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro has the Leica L lens mount whereas the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE for the Leica L Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is also available in the Sony E , Leica M, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts.
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Canon EF , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
127.5mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 135mm.
