The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 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 1.4/55 is the longer of the two lenses at 141mm. The Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro with a length of 115mm, is 26mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 also has a larger diameter of 92mm compared to the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro's 87mm 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 TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro weighs 945g, which means it is 25g (2%) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 which has a weight of 970g.
Filter Threads
Both the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 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 1.4/55 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
80mm.
On the other hand, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 88mm.