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 Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II 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. Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is the longer of the two lenses at 128mm. The Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II with a length of 83mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II's 71mm 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 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II weighs 335g, 63% (585g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135's weight of 920g.
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II:
Lens Mounts
The Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is also available in the Canon EF 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
202.5mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G VR II has a focal range of 55-200mm and 3.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
