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 Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM 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. Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 219mm. The Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 100mm, is 119mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM also has a larger diameter of 104mm 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 1430g (72%) lighter than the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM which has a weight of 1970g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the SuperZoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Sony Alpha 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 Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has a 95mm 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 95mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD and the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58.
Tamron 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (DX) mounts.
Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF3, Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) 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 Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has a focal range of 50-500mm and 10.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 75 - 750mm.