The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD and the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 92mm. The Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II with a length of 25mm, is 67mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II's 63mm 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. Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II weighs 200g, 61% (320g) lighter than the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD's weight of 520g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II has a 52mm 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD and the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II is also available in Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
67.5mm.
On the other hand, the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 60mm.