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 70-200mm f2.8G ED 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. Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II is the longer of the two lenses at 209mm. The Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 with a length of 128mm, is 81mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II also has a larger diameter of 87mm 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 620g (40%) lighter than the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II which has a weight of 1540g.
Filter Threads
Both the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 and the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II 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 Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
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 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II has a focal range of 70-200mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 300mm.