The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC and the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM 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. Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 143mm. The Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC with a length of 91mm, is 52mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC's 85mm 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. Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC weighs 700g, which means it is 350g (33%) lighter than the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM which has a weight of 1050g.
Filter Threads
Both the Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC and the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM have the same Filter thread size of 67mm.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC and the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC is also available in the Sony Alpha and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 85mm F1.8 VC is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
136mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 112 - 480mm.
