The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L and the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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 Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L with a length of 47mm, is 41mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L's 63mm 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 35mm F2.8 Macro L weighs 215g, which means it is 315g (59%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 which has a weight of 530g.
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 35mm F2.8 Macro L has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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 35mm F2.8 Macro L:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L and the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 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.
Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L is also available in the Pentax KAF mount.
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T2/50 is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Pentax 35mm F2.8 Macro L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
52.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 75mm.
