The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM and the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro 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 180mm f3.5L Macro USM is the longer of the two lenses at 187mm. The Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM with a length of 136mm, is 51mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 83mm.
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 200mm f2.8L II USM weighs 765g, which means it is 325g (29%) lighter than the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM which has a weight of 1090g.
Filter Threads
Both the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM and the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM have the same Filter thread size of 72mm.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM and the Canon 180mm f3.5L Macro USM 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.
Focal Range
Canon 200mm f2.8L II USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
320mm.
On the other hand, the 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.