The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD and the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex 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. Sony 500mm F8 Reflex is the longer of the two lenses at 118mm. The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD with a length of 88mm, is 30mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD's 74mm 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 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD weighs 450g, which means it is 215g (32%) lighter than the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex which has a weight of 665g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD and the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex 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.
Focal Range
Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD has a focal range of 18-270mm and
15.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
27-405mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 750mm.
