The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM and the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 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. Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is the longer of the two lenses at 70mm. The Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 with a length of 69mm, is 1mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50's 66mm 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 60mm f2.8 Macro USM weighs 335g, which means it is 15g (4%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 which has a weight of 350g.
Filter Threads
The Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 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 60mm f2.8 Macro USM:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50:
Lens Mounts
The Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM has the Canon EF-S lens mount whereas the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount and Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV for the Canon EF Mount.
Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 is also available in Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 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.