The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 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 Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro with a length of 60mm, is 53mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 also has a larger diameter of 76mm compared to the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 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. Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro weighs 265g, which means it is 415g (61%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 which has a weight of 680g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/100 is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro 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 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150mm.
