The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 and the Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 is the longer of the two lenses at 98mm. The Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM with a length of 56mm, is 42mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM's 68mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM weighs 280g, 53% (320g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25's weight of 600g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 and the Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Distagon T2/25 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 40mm.
Canon 24mm f2.8 IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 24mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 38.4mm.