The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD and the Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 145mm. The Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM with a length of 103mm is 42mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD also has a larger diameter of 98mm compared to Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM's 87mm diameter.
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. Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM weighs 600g, 45% (500g) lighter than the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD's weight of 1100g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD and Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 VC USD has a focal range of 15-30mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 22.5 - 45mm.
Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM has a focal range of 12-24mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 18 - 36mm.