The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 166mm. The Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro with a length of 98mm, is 68mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro's 81mm 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. Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro weighs 710g, 22% (210g) lighter than the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro's weight of 920g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in the Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 180mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
288mm.
On the other hand, the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.5 1-5x Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 65mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 104mm.
