The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 145mm. The Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II with a length of 114mm is 31mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD also has a larger diameter of 98mm compared to Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II's 83mm diameter.
Below you can find the scaled side by side image of Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD to get a better idea of how their size compare in real life.
Comparison image of Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD Size and Weight Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II weighs 872g, which means it is 228g (20%) lighter than the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD which has a weight of 1100g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and Tamron 15-30mm 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 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD has a focal range of 15-30mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 22.5 - 45mm.