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 Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR 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. Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 123mm. The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 100mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 77mm 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. Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR weighs 530g, 1% (10g) lighter than the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD's weight of 540g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the SuperZoom Lenses in Nikon F (DX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (DX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has a 58mm 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 58mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has the same Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (DX) lenses are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in the Canon EF 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
24-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Nikon 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has a focal range of 55-300mm and 5.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
