The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM 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. Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 123mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 43mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro'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. Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro weighs 400g, which means it is 225g (36%) lighter than the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM which has a weight of 625g.
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 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in the Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 160mm.
