The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 and the Canon 300mm f4.0L 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 300mm f4.0L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 221mm. The Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 with a length of 128mm, is 93mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 300mm f4.0L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 90mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135's 84mm 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. Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 weighs 920g, which means it is 270g (22%) lighter than the Canon 300mm f4.0L IS USM which has a weight of 1190g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 and the Canon 300mm f4.0L IS USM have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 and the Canon 300mm f4.0L 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.
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is also available in the Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 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 300mm f4.0L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 480mm.
