The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro and the Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D 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 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D with a length of 107mm is 10mm shorter. On the other hand, the Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro's 79mm 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 90mm F2.8 VC Macro weighs 609g, which means it is 41g (6%) lighter than the Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D which has a weight of 650g.
Lens Mounts
Both Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro and Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D 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 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is also available in Sony Alpha and Canon EF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 135mm.
Nikon PC-E Micro-85mm f2.8D is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 127.5mm.