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 Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED 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 Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED with a length of 89mm, is 77mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED'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. Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED weighs 425g, 53% (495g) 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 Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED 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 Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro and the Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in Canon EF 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
270mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Micro-60mm f2.8G ED is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 90mm.