The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 and the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF 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. Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF is the longer of the two lenses at 111mm. The Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 with a length of 108mm, is 3mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF also has a larger diameter of 86mm compared to the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4's 80mm 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. Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF weighs 755g, 20% (195g) lighter than the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4's weight of 950g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF:
Lens Mounts
The Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 is also available in the Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF has a focal range of 17-55mm and 3.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 25.5-82.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
