The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 and the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 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 T2,8/21 is the longer of the two lenses at 109mm. The Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 with a length of 69mm, is 40mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50's 66mm 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 Planar T1,4/50 weighs 350g, which means it is 250g (41%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 which has a weight of 600g.
Filter Threads
The Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 has a 82mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50:
And these are the 82mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21:
Lens Mounts
The Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 is also available in the Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 is also available in Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/50 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T2,8/21 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 33.6mm.
