The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD and the Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 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 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 with a length of 70mm is 47mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD also has a larger diameter of 88mm compared to Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6's 72mm 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. Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 weighs 237g, 71% (588g) lighter than the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD's weight of 825g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Standard Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD and Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 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 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 is also available in Canon EF , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC USD has a focal range of 24-70mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 36 - 105mm.
Tamron AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 28-80mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 42 - 120mm.