The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 and the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC 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 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC is the longer of the two lenses at 124mm. The Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 with a length of 102mm, is 22mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Tamron 16-30mm f2.8'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 16-30mm f2.8 weighs 440g, which means it is 270g (38%) lighter than the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC which has a weight of 710g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC has a 72mm 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 16-30mm f2.8:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC has the Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 is also available in the Nikon Z mount.
Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 has a focal range of 16-30mm and
1.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
24 - 45mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC has a focal range of 18-400mm and 22.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28.8-640mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
