The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II 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 12-20mm f2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 119mm. The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II with a length of 112mm, is 7mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 also has a larger diameter of 90mm compared to the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II's 88mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II Size and Weight 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 FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II weighs 547g, 4% (23g) lighter than the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8's weight of 570g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Sony E Mount
Filter Threads
The Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II has a 82mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8:
And these are the 82mm filters that we recommend for the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II has the same Sony E lens mount . Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5 , Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V .
Focal Range
Tamron 12-20mm f2.8 has a focal range of 12-20mm and
1.7X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
18 - 30mm .
On the other hand, the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM 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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm .
