The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC and the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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. Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC with a length of 124mm, is 13mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 79mm.
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 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC weighs 710g, which means it is 310g (30%) lighter than the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 which has a weight of 1020g.
Filter Threads
Both the Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC and the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 have the same Filter thread size of 72mm.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 VC is also available in the Canon EF-S mount.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
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
27-600mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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.
