The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC 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. Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 with a length of 113mm, is 4mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100'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 Macro weighs 609g, 10% (71g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100's weight of 680g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 and the Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC 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.
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 is also available in Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro is also available in Sony Alpha and Canon EF mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 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 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.