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 Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 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 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM is the longer of the two lenses at 69mm. The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX with a length of 60mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM also has a larger diameter of 84mm 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.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM:
Lens Mounts
The Tokina 35mm f2.8 Macro DX has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) 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 35mm f2.8 Macro DX is also available in the Canon EF mount.
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
52.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM has a focal range of 20-35mm and 1.8X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 32 - 56mm.
