The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX and the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC 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. Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is the longer of the two lenses at 135mm. The Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM with a length of 102mm, is 33mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM's 74mm 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. Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM weighs 420g, 50% (425g) lighter than the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX's weight of 845g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (DX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (DX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX and the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM has the same Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (DX) lenses are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600.
Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF3, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Tokina 50-135mm f2.8 DX has a focal range of 50-135mm and
2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
75-202.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM has a focal range of 50-200mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 75-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
