The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM and the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro 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 90mm f2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 97mm. The Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM with a length of 52mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM's 70mm 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 85mm F2.8 SAM weighs 175g, which means it is 230g (56%) lighter than the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro which has a weight of 405g.
Filter Threads
Both the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM and the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro have the same Filter thread size of 55mm.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM and the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro 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 90mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
127.5mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 135mm.