The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX and the Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM 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. Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 107mm. The Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX with a length of 97mm, is 10mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 84mm.
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. Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX weighs 610g, which means it is 60g (8%) lighter than the Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM which has a weight of 670g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX and the Canon 24-105mm f4L 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.
Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX has a focal range of 16-50mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 25.6-80mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera. Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM has a focal range of 24-105mm and 4.4X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 38.4 - 168mm.