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 VC PZD and the Nikon 80-400mm 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 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 203mm. The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD with a length of 88mm, is 115mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 96mm compared to the Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC 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 VC PZD weighs 450g, which means it is 1120g (71%) lighter than the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR which has a weight of 1570g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR 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 VC PZD:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC PZD is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 II VC 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 Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR has a focal range of 80-400mm and 5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 120 - 600mm.
