The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 100mm f2.0 USM and the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 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 85mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 138mm. The Canon 100mm f2.0 USM with a length of 74mm, is 64mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 101mm compared to the Canon 100mm f2.0 USM'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. Canon 100mm f2.0 USM weighs 460g, which means it is 740g (61%) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 which has a weight of 1200g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Canon 100mm f2.0 USM has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 has a 86mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 100mm f2.0 USM:
And these are the 86mm filters that we recommend for the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 100mm f2.0 USM and the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Canon 100mm f2.0 USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160mm.
On the other hand, the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 136mm.