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 Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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 Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM with a length of 127mm, is 39mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM's 78mm 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. Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM weighs 726g, 21% (194g) 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 Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has a 62mm 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 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is also available in Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) 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 Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 168mm.