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 Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM 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. Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 203mm. The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 with a length of 137mm, is 66mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM 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 620g (37%) lighter than the Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM which has a weight of 1640g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM 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 Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
The Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM has the Canon EF 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 Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM is also available in Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
120 - 600mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM has a focal range of 120-400mm and 3.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 192 - 640mm.
