The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 135mm f2.8 SF and the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM 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. Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 143mm. The Canon 135mm f2.8 SF with a length of 98mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Canon 135mm f2.8 SF's 69mm 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. Canon 135mm f2.8 SF weighs 390g, which means it is 240g (38%) lighter than the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM which has a weight of 630g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 135mm f2.8 SF has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 135mm f2.8 SF:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 135mm f2.8 SF and the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Focal Range
Canon 135mm f2.8 SF is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
216mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 112 - 480mm.
