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 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM 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 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM is the longer of the two lenses at 196mm. The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD with a length of 88mm, is 108mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM also has a larger diameter of 95mm 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 1040g (69%) lighter than the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM which has a weight of 1490g.
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 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM has a 77mm 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 77mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II PZD and the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM 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 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM has a focal range of 70-400mm and 5.7X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 600mm.
