The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro and the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 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. Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 123mm. The Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 with a length of 95mm, is 28mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4'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. Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 weighs 594g, 17% (126g) lighter than the Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro's weight of 720g.
Filter Threads
The Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 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 Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro and the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro is also available in Canon EF , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 100mm F2.8 Macro 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.
On the other hand, the Zeiss Loxia 85mm F2.4 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.