The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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 Makro-Planar T2/100 is the longer of the two lenses at 113mm. The Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro with a length of 63mm, is 50mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 also has a larger diameter of 76mm compared to the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro's 68mm 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 50mm f2.5 Macro weighs 280g, 58% (400g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100's weight of 680g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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 Makro-Planar T2/100 is also available in the Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 80mm.
