The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR and the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II 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. Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 268mm. The Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD with a length of 84mm, is 184mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD's 74mm 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 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD weighs 430g, 81% (1870g) lighter than the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR's weight of 2300g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II 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 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD is also available in Canon EF , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has a focal range of 200-500mm and
2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
300 - 750mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 II LD has a focal range of 18-250mm and 13.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-375mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
