The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 and the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM 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. Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 189mm. The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 with a length of 137mm, is 52mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 92mm compared to the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6's 79mm 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. Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 weighs 1020g, which means it is 360g (26%) lighter than the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM which has a weight of 1380g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 and the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in the Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 80-400mm and
5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
128 - 640mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 160 - 640mm.
