Tamron 35-100 vs 35-150: Which One Belongs in Your Bag?
If you're a Sony E or Nikon Z shooter trying to decide between the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD (A078) and the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD (A058), you're asking the right question. These two lenses share more DNA than almost any other pair in Tamron's mirrorless lineup — same VXD autofocus, same BBAR-G2 coating, same family of optics. But they're built for different working photographers, and the Tamron 35-100 vs 35-150 decision changes how your kit feels in your hand and on your shoulder for the entire day.
I own and shoot both lenses on my Sony a1 across paid client work in Pittsburgh — food, product, restaurant, automotive, portrait. This isn't a spec-sheet comparison written from a press release. It's a working photographer's breakdown of which one to pick, when to pick it, and why I keep both in the kit.
Pick the Tamron 35-100 if: you shoot food, product, lifestyle, travel, or video work, and weight matters more than 150mm reach.
Pick the Tamron 35-150 if: you shoot weddings, events, or assignments where the f/2 wide end and 100-150mm reach genuinely earn their weight.
Own both if: you do both kinds of work and want a lighter daily-driver alongside your event flagship — they share the same 67mm filter ecosystem, so you're not buying duplicate gear.
Tamron 35-100 vs 35-150 — The Specs Side by Side
Before we get to the real-world breakdown, here's the head-to-head spec comparison. The differences that matter most are highlighted in red.
The Real Difference — Weight, Size, and Why It Matters
Look at the comparison card above and the headline jumps out: the Tamron 35-100 weighs 565g. The Tamron 35-150 weighs 1165g. The 35-100 is less than half the weight. It's also 39mm shorter and uses a smaller 67mm filter instead of 82mm.
That number on the page sounds abstract. In practice, it changes how the kit feels at hour four of a shoot. With the 35-150 mounted to the Sony a1, you have a serious working tool — but you feel it. With the 35-100, you forget it's there. For travel, food, product, walkaround, and gimbal work, the weight difference is the entire pitch. For event coverage where you're moving fast and need every bit of reach, the 35-150's weight is what you trade for capability.
The filter ecosystem matters here too. If you already shoot the 35-150, you have 82mm filters in the bag — circular polarizers, variable NDs, the whole stack. The 35-100 uses 67mm filters, which match almost every other current-generation Tamron mirrorless lens. So if you own both, the 35-100 plays nice with your 67mm filter kit and the 35-150 is the outlier. Worth knowing before you buy filters for either one.
Aperture and Focal Range — Where They Actually Differ Optically
The optical differences come down to two things: the f/2 wide end on the 35-150 and the extra 50mm of reach on the long end. Everything else is essentially the same family of lens.
The f/2 wide end on the 35-150
At 35mm, the 35-150 opens to f/2 instead of f/2.8 — a full stop brighter. For low-light environmental work, dim reception venues, and that extra creamy bokeh on wide-angle environmental portraits, this matters. The 35-100 is f/2.8 across the entire zoom range. For most of my client work — food, product, lifestyle — I'm shooting at f/2.8 anyway, so I rarely miss the f/2. But if you shoot weddings or events where the venue lighting tanks at sundown, that extra stop is real.
The 100-150mm reach on the 35-150
This is the bigger functional difference. From 100mm to 150mm you get tighter compression, more flattering portrait perspective, and the ability to isolate subjects from a distance. For weddings, ceremony shots, candid event coverage, or any work where you need reach without changing lenses, the 35-150 gives you 50mm of extra working room the 35-100 simply can't match.
For everything else — food, product, lifestyle, travel, most portrait sessions — 100mm is plenty. I rarely zoom past 100mm on commercial shoots unless I'm specifically going for a tight headshot, and even then 100mm at f/2.8 with a high-resolution sensor like the Sony a1 gives me plenty of subject isolation.
Where They're Identical — The Stuff That Doesn't Differ
It's worth calling out what's the same between these two lenses, because the spec card differences can make them look more different than they actually are:
- VXD linear motor autofocus on both — same speed, same accuracy, same near-silent operation
- BBAR-G2 coating on both for ghosting and flare control
- 9-blade circular aperture on both for smooth bokeh
- Moisture-resistant construction and fluorine front coating on both
- TAMRON Lens Utility compatibility on both — same custom function workflow, same firmware update path
- No built-in stabilization on either — both rely on IBIS from your camera body
- Sony E and Nikon Z mounts available on both
If you've shot the 35-150, the 35-100 will feel completely familiar — same controls, same focus throw, same image character. The transition between them on a shoot is seamless.
Use Cases — Which Lens for Which Job
Events, Weddings, and Photojournalism → 35-150
This is the 35-150's home turf. The 100-150mm reach matters when you can't physically move closer — ceremony shots, speakers at podiums, candid moments across a room. The f/2 wide end gives you a full stop of headroom in dim venues. The weight is real, but for assignments where reach and brightness earn their keep, the Tamron 35-150 is the right tool.
Food and Restaurant Photography → 35-100
Restaurant kitchens are tight. Walking into a prep area with the 35-150 always made me feel like I was taking up too much room. The 35-100 is half the weight and 39mm shorter — it disappears in tight spaces. The 0.22m minimum focusing distance at the wide end gives the 35-100 a 1:3.3 magnification ratio versus the 35-150's 1:5.7, which means tighter detail shots without a lens swap. If you're shooting for restaurants and chefs, food photography is what I do.
Product Photography → 35-100
For product photography, both lenses work optically. But the 35-100 wins on handling — lighter to manipulate one-handed while you adjust a product or backdrop with the other, easier to keep on a copy stand or tethered setup, and the better close-focus ratio means more flexibility for tight detail crops. The 35-150's extra reach is rarely useful for tabletop work.
Travel and Walkaround → 35-100
Not even close. The 35-100 is the obvious pick for travel — half the weight, smaller filter, fits in a sling bag, doesn't punish you on a long day. The 35-150 is a serious lens you carry intentionally; the 35-100 is a lens you forget you're carrying.
Gimbal and Video Work → 35-100
Tamron specifically designed the 35-100 for gimbal use, with minimized barrel extension to keep the center of gravity stable as you zoom. Combined with the 565g weight, it balances on a Ronin or Crane setup that would tip over with the 35-150 at 1165g. If you shoot hybrid stills/video, the 35-100 is the smarter video lens — period.
Portrait Sessions → It Depends
This is the only category where it's genuinely a coin flip. Both lenses cover the classic 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm portrait range at f/2.8. The 35-150 gives you 135mm and 150mm compression for tighter, more flattering headshots. The 35-100 stops at 100mm. If you love the 135mm portrait look, get the 35-150. If 100mm is plenty (and for environmental and lifestyle portraits, it usually is), the 35-100 is a lighter, more affordable pick that delivers the same image quality at the focal lengths you actually use.
Tamron 35-100 vs 28-75 G2 — A Quick Aside
If you're cross-shopping the 35-100 against Tamron's other premium standard zoom — the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 (A063) — here's the quick decision framework. The Tamron 35-100 vs 28-75 question comes up because they're priced similarly and both target serious working photographers.
- Pick the 28-75 G2 if: you shoot wide environmental work and need 28mm. The 28-75 is the more traditional standard zoom range, replacing a 24-70 in spirit.
- Pick the 35-100 if: you shoot more portrait, food, product, and lifestyle work where 75mm is too short and you'd benefit from 85-100mm reach. The 35-100 is also lighter than the 28-75 and uses the same 67mm filter system.
For most working photographers, the 35-100 is the more useful focal range because the 28-35mm wide end gets used less often than the 75-100mm long end. But if you regularly shoot interiors, real estate, or wide environmental work, the 28-75 is the safer pick.
How I Use Both — My Personal Workflow
Here's the honest answer to "which one should I own": for me, the answer is both — but they live in different places in the kit.
The Tamron 35-150 stays in the bag for client events, weddings, and any assignment where I need maximum reach and brightness in a single zoom. It's the workhorse for jobs where I'm not the one carrying it for hours on end — I'm working from a base, in and out of bags, switching bodies.
The Tamron 35-100 lives on my Sony a1 for daily driver work — scouting locations, doing food photography in tight Pittsburgh kitchens, walking around shooting personal work, road trips, and gimbal video. If I'm leaving the studio with one lens on the camera, it's the 35-100. If I'm packing for a multi-lens commercial shoot, both come along.
The 67mm filter ecosystem is what makes owning both feel cohesive. My circular polarizer and variable ND drop onto the 35-100 (and every other modern Tamron mirrorless lens I own). The 35-150's 82mm filters are dedicated to that lens. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a real consideration if you're building a kit from scratch.
Price and Value — Is the 35-150 Worth Twice the Money?
The Tamron 35-100 starts at $899. The Tamron 35-150 runs around $1,899. That's a $1,000 gap — significant money for working photographers and a real decision point.
What you're paying for with the 35-150: the f/2 wide end, the 100-150mm reach, and the build of a flagship event lens. What you're not paying for that's different: same autofocus motor, same coating, same family of optics, same image quality at overlapping focal lengths.
If you'll genuinely use the 100-150mm range and the f/2 wide end, the extra $1,000 buys real capability. If you're honest with yourself and most of your shooting happens between 35-100mm at f/2.8, the 35-150 is a thousand dollars of capability you'll rarely use — and the 35-100 is the smarter buy.
The Verdict — Which Tamron Should You Buy?
Here's the decision framework, distilled.
Buy the Tamron 35-100 if you're a working photographer doing food, product, lifestyle, travel, video, gimbal, or general portrait work. It's $899, half the weight of the 35-150, covers the focal lengths you'll actually use on 90% of jobs, and uses the same 67mm filter system as the rest of your modern Tamron kit. Read my full Tamron 35-100 review here.
Buy the Tamron 35-150 if you shoot weddings, events, or assignments where reach and the f/2 wide end genuinely earn their weight. It's the flagship "do-everything" event lens, and for the right working photographer it's worth every gram. Read my full Tamron 35-150 review here.
Own both if you do both kinds of work. The 35-150 for assignments, the 35-100 for everything else. That's where I've landed in my own kit, and I haven't regretted it.
FAQ — Tamron 35-100 vs 35-150 Quick Answers
The questions I expect to get most about choosing between the Tamron 35-100 and 35-150.
Should I buy the Tamron 35-100 or 35-150?
If you shoot food, product, lifestyle, travel, or video work and weight matters, buy the Tamron 35-100. If you shoot weddings, events, or assignments where 100-150mm reach and the f/2 wide end matter, buy the Tamron 35-150. Most working photographers will be better served by the 35-100 for daily use.
What's the difference between the Tamron 35-100 and 35-150?
The 35-100 is half the weight (565g vs 1165g), about half the price ($899 vs ~$1899), uses a smaller 67mm filter (vs 82mm), and is shorter at 119.2mm vs 158mm. The 35-150 has 50mm more reach and a brighter f/2 wide end. Autofocus, coatings, build quality, and image character are essentially identical between the two.
Is the Tamron 35-150 worth the extra money over the 35-100?
If you'll genuinely use the 100-150mm range and the f/2 wide end on the 35-150 — yes, the extra $1,000 buys real capability. If most of your shooting is between 35-100mm at f/2.8, the 35-150 gives you a thousand dollars of capability you'll rarely use, and the 35-100 is the smarter buy.
Can the Tamron 35-100 replace the Tamron 35-150?
For food, product, lifestyle, travel, and most portrait work, yes — the 35-100 covers everything most working photographers actually use. For wedding and event coverage where 100-150mm reach and the f/2 wide end earn their keep, the 35-150 is irreplaceable. The honest answer is that the 35-100 replaces the 35-150 for some shooters and not for others.
Which is better for video — Tamron 35-100 or 35-150?
The Tamron 35-100, by a meaningful margin. It was specifically designed for gimbal use with minimized barrel extension to keep the center of gravity stable as you zoom, and at 565g it balances on gimbals where the 1165g 35-150 would tip over. The constant f/2.8 also avoids exposure drift across the zoom range.
Which is better for portraits — Tamron 35-100 or 35-150?
Both work. The 35-150 gives you 135mm and 150mm for tighter compression and more flattering headshots. The 35-100 stops at 100mm. If you love the 135mm portrait look, get the 35-150. If 100mm is plenty (and for most environmental and lifestyle portraits it is), the 35-100 is a lighter, more affordable pick.
How does the Tamron 35-100 compare to the 28-75?
The Tamron 28-75 G2 is the more traditional standard zoom — pick it if you regularly shoot at 28-35mm for environmental and wide work. The Tamron 35-100 trades 28-35mm wide for 75-100mm long — pick it if you shoot more portrait, food, product, and lifestyle work where 75mm is too short. The 35-100 is also lighter and uses the same 67mm filter system.
Do the Tamron 35-100 and 35-150 use the same filters?
No. The 35-100 uses 67mm filters (matching most current Tamron mirrorless lenses). The 35-150 uses 82mm filters. If you own both, you'll need separate filter sets — worth budgeting for if you rely on circular polarizers or variable NDs.
Pick Your Tamron
Both lenses are sold via Tamron's Official Amazon Storefront. As a Tamron Ambassador and Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.
I shoot both the Tamron 35-100 and Tamron 35-150 for my own paid client work. For the full breakdowns, see my Tamron 35-100mm review and Tamron 35-150mm review.
Official spec sheets at Tamron Americas: Tamron 35-100mm product page and Tamron 35-150mm product page.
Based in Pittsburgh and need product, food, or brand photography? I'm Ian Jones — a Pittsburgh commercial photographer serving Pittsburgh and Western PA. Check out my work or follow me on Instagram.