The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED and the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85 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. Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED is the longer of the two lenses at 134mm. The Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85 with a length of 85mm, is 49mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85's 78mm 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 T1,4/85 weighs 700g, 15% (125g) lighter than the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED's weight of 825g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85 has a 72mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED and the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85 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 Planar T1,4/85 is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Planar T1,4/85 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 127.5mm.
