The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS and the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR 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 RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS is the longer of the two lenses at 148mm. The Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR with a length of 99mm, is 49mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS also has a larger diameter of 82mm compared to the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR's 73mm 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. Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR weighs 355g, 51% (375g) lighter than the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS's weight of 730g.
Filter Threads
The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR 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 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR:
Lens Mounts
The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon R6 V, Canon R6 III and Canon C50 for the Canon RF Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Focal Range
Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 127.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
