The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 92mm. The Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro with a length of 60mm, is 32mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro's 72mm 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 50mm F2.8 Macro weighs 295g, which means it is 225g (43%) lighter than the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD which has a weight of 520g.
Filter Threads
The Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 50mm F2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 67.5mm.