The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro 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 atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro with a length of 95mm, is 71mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro'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 atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro weighs 530g, which means it is 390g (42%) 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 Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro has a filter size of 55mm 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 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro and the Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Tamron 180mm f3.5 LD Macro is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
150mm.
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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 270mm.