The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 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. Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 is the longer of the two lenses at 258mm. The Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR with a length of 237mm, is 21mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 106mm.
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 AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR weighs 1460g, which means it is 550g (27%) lighter than the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 which has a weight of 2010g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 have the same Filter thread size of 95mm.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 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 Di VC USD G2 is also available in Sony Alpha and Canon EF mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
750mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 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.
