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 Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD 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 Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro with a length of 115mm, is 51mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro's 76mm 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 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro weighs 550g, 40% (370g) lighter than the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro's weight of 920g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD 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 Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has the Canon EF lens mount whereas the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount and Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in the Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro is also available in Canon EF 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 Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD 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.
