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 Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX 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 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX with a length of 60mm, is 57mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX's 73mm 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. Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX weighs 340g, 44% (269g) lighter than the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro's weight of 609g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX 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 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is also available in the Sony Alpha and Canon EF mounts.
Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is also available in Canon EF mount.
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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
135mm.
On the other hand, the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 52.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
