The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 and the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 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. Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 is the longer of the two lenses at 84mm. The Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM with a length of 69mm, is 15mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM'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. Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM weighs 340g, 27% (130g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18's weight of 470g.
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 has a filter size of 82mm whereas the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 82mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 and the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 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 Distagon T3,5/18 is also available in the Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Distagon T3,5/18 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
28.8mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM has a focal range of 20-35mm and 1.8X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 32 - 56mm.
