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 f2.8 Macro 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 f2.8 Macro USM is the longer of the two lenses at 119mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 39mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM also has a larger diameter of 79mm 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 200g (33%) lighter than the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM which has a weight of 600g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM 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 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in the Canon EF 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
90mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro 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.
