The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX 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 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 127mm. The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX with a length of 60mm, is 67mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX'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 35mm f2.8 Macro DX weighs 340g, which means it is 386g (53%) lighter than the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM which has a weight of 726g.
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 35mm f2.8 Macro DX has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is also available in the Nikon F (DX) mount.
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is also available in Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
56mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 168mm.