The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD 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. Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 129mm. The Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro with a length of 115mm, is 14mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 101mm compared to the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro's 76mm 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 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro weighs 550g, 60% (855g) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4's weight of 1405g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 has a filter size of 86mm whereas the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 86mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD 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.
Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Zeiss Otus 100mm F1.4 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 90mm F2.8 VC USD Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 135mm.