The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF 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. Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro with a length of 80mm, is 8mm shorter. On the other hand, the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50's 72mm 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 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro weighs 400g, 24% (130g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50's weight of 530g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a 55mm 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 T2/50:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 and the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro 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 Makro-Planar T2/50 is also available in Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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 Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.