The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro 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. Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro with a length of 95mm, is 22mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro's 73mm 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 100mm f2.8 Macro weighs 540g, which means it is 69g (11%) lighter than the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro which has a weight of 609g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro 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.
Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is also available in Sony Alpha and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Tokina 100mm f2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC 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.