The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 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 Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 with a length of 128mm, is 13mm shorter. On the other hand, the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55's 92mm 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. Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 weighs 970g, 30% (430g) lighter than the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50's weight of 1400g.
Filter Threads
The Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55:
Lens Mounts
Both the Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 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.
Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Pentax KAF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Schneider PC-TS 2.8/50 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 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.