The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM is the longer of the two lenses at 122mm. The Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD with a length of 86mm, is 36mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD's 74mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Size and Weight The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD weighs 365g, which means it is 315g (46%) lighter than the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM which has a weight of 680g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony ZV-E1, Sony A7R V and Sony FX30.
Focal Range
Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 VXD has a focal range of 20-40mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 30 - 60mm.
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.