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 Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD 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 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 166mm. The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX with a length of 60mm, is 106mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm 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 580g (63%) lighter than the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro which has a weight of 920g.
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 Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has a 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX and the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro 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.
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha 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 Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 180mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 288mm.
