The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD and the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM 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 70-200mm f2.8 LD is the longer of the two lenses at 194mm. The Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM with a length of 136mm, is 58mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD also has a larger diameter of 90mm compared to the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM's 83mm 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. Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM weighs 760g, 42% (570g) lighter than the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD's weight of 1330g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD is also available in the Canon EF , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 LD has a focal range of 70-200mm and
2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
105 - 300mm.
On the other hand, the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.
