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 Sigma APO 180mm 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. Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 204mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 124mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM also has a larger diameter of 95mm 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 1240g (75%) lighter than the Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM which has a weight of 1640g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has a 86mm 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 86mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in the Canon EF and Nikon F (DX) mounts.
Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX) and Sigma SA 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 Sigma APO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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.
