The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 8-15mm f2.8 and the Tamron 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD 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 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD is the longer of the two lenses at 114mm. The Venus 8-15mm f2.8 with a length of 76mm, is 38mm shorter. On the other hand, the Venus 8-15mm f2.8 has a larger diameter of 95mm compared to the Tamron 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD's 75mm 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. Tamron 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD weighs 460g, 29% (190g) lighter than the Venus 8-15mm f2.8's weight of 650g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Fisheye Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 8-15mm f2.8 and the Tamron 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V.
Venus 8-15mm f2.8 is also available in the Nikon Z , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 8-15mm f2.8 has a focal range of 8-15mm and
1.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
12 - 22.5mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 17-50mm f4 Di III VXD has a focal range of 17-50mm and 3.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.5 - 75mm.