The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR 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. Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro with a length of 97mm, is 2mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro's 72mm 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. Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR weighs 355g, which means it is 50g (12%) lighter than the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro which has a weight of 405g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR has a filter size of 52mm 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR has the Nikon F (DX) 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 Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Canon EF , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
127.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
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.