The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 and the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro 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 Makro-Planar T2/50 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM with a length of 70mm, is 18mm shorter. On the other hand, the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50's 72mm 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 60mm f2.8 Macro USM weighs 335g, 36% (195g) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50's weight of 530g.
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM 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 T2/50:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM:
Lens Mounts
The Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 has the Canon EF lens mount whereas the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM has the Canon EF-S lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount and Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF-S Mount.
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 is also available in the Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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.
On the other hand, the Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 60mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 96mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
