The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 97mm. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM with a length of 88mm, is 9mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM has a larger diameter of 86mm compared to the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro's 72mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro weighs 405g, which means it is 320g (44%) lighter than the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM which has a weight of 725g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Sony Alpha and Pentax KAF mounts.
Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Pentax KAF3, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 144mm.
Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 136mm.