The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM 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. Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 387mm. The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 100mm, is 287mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 146mm compared to the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD's 75mm 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. Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD weighs 540g, which means it is 3330g (86%) lighter than the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM which has a weight of 3870g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM has a 52mm 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 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in the Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
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
25.6-480mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 500mm f4.0L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 800mm.
