The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS and the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD 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 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is the longer of the two lenses at 100mm. The Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS with a length of 88mm, is 12mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD also has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS's 67mm 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 E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS weighs 325g, which means it is 215g (39%) lighter than the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD which has a weight of 540g.
Filter Threads
The Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD 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 E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD:
Lens Mounts
The Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony ZV-E10 II, Sony A6700 and Sony FX30 for the Sony E Mount and Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58 for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (DX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS has a focal range of 18-135mm and
7.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
27-202.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a focal range of 16-300mm and 18.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
