The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro and the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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, which means it is 130g (24%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 which has a weight of 530g.
Filter Threads
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50:
Lens Mounts
The Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Tamron 60mm f2 II LD IF Macro is also available in Canon EF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 is also available in Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
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
90mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 75mm.