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 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD 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 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 268mm. The Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD with a length of 227mm is 41mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD's 94mm 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. Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD weighs 1237g, 46% (1063g) 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 Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR and Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD 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 200-500mm f5-6.3 LD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range