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 Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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. Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 with a length of 113mm, is 24mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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. Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 weighs 680g, which means it is 340g (33%) lighter than the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 which has a weight of 1020g.
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 and the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in Canon EF mount.
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 Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 80-400mm and 5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 120 - 600mm.