The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM and the Canon 50mm f2.5 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. Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM is the longer of the two lenses at 187mm. The Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro with a length of 63mm, is 124mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro's 68mm 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 50mm f2.5 Macro weighs 280g, 74% (810g) lighter than the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM's weight of 1090g.
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 Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro has a 52mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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 180mm f3.5L Macro USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 180mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
288mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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.
