The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC and the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 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. Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC is the longer of the two lenses at 183mm. The Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM with a length of 136mm, is 47mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM's 83mm 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. Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM weighs 760g, 34% (395g) lighter than the Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC's weight of 1155g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E Mount and Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC is also available in the Nikon Z mount.
Focal Range
Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 VC has a focal range of 50-400mm and
8.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75 - 600mm.
On the other hand, the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.
