The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 105mm F1.4 and the Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Nikon 105mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 106mm. The Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro with a length of 95mm is 11mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 105mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 95mm compared to Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro's 73mm diameter.
Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro weighs 540g, 45% (445g) lighter than the Nikon 105mm F1.4's weight of 985g.
Lens Mounts
Both Nikon 105mm F1.4 and Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 105mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 157.5mm.
Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150mm.