The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 and the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 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. Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 is the longer of the two lenses at 109mm. The Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 with a length of 84mm, is 25mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 87mm.
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. Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 weighs 470g, which means it is 130g (21%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 which has a weight of 600g.
Filter Threads
Both the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 and the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 have the same Filter thread size of 82mm.
Below are links to the 82mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 and the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 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.
Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 is also available in Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 is also available in Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
28.8mm.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 33.6mm.