The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX and the Canon 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L 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 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM is the longer of the two lenses at 167mm. The Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX with a length of 78mm, is 89mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX's 84mm 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. Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX weighs 610g, which means it is 775g (55%) lighter than the Canon 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM which has a weight of 1385g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the SuperZoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
SuperZoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX and the Canon 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L 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 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX has a focal range of 17-135mm and 7.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27.2-216mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera. Canon 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM has a focal range of 35-350mm and 10.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 56 - 560mm.