The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II and the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD 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 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is the longer of the two lenses at 92mm. The Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II with a length of 25mm, is 67mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II's 63mm 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. Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II weighs 200g, which means it is 320g (61%) lighter than the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD which has a weight of 520g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD has a 67mm 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 Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II and the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD 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.
Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II is also available in Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
60mm.
On the other hand, the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 67.5mm.