The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA and the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD 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 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 197mm. The Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA with a length of 115mm, is 82mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD's 86mm 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. Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA weighs 1050g, which means it is 420g (28%) lighter than the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD which has a weight of 1470g.
Filter Threads
Both the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA and the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA and the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
202.5mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 VC USD has a focal range of 70-200mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 300mm.
