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 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 268mm. The Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC with a length of 258mm, is 10mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC's 106mm diameter.
The 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. Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC weighs 1951g, 15% (349g) lighter than the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR's weight of 2300g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR and the Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC 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.
Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha 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.
Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 VC has a focal range of 150-600mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 225 - 900mm.