The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM 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 Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM with a length of 68mm, is 73mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 also has a larger diameter of 92mm compared to the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM's 85mm 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. Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM weighs 505g, which means it is 465g (47%) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 which has a weight of 970g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 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.
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF3, Sony Alpha, Sigma SA and Four Thirds mounts.
Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 82.5mm.