The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA and the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS 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. Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA is the longer of the two lenses at 115mm. The Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS with a length of 106mm, is 9mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 89mm.
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. Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS weighs 965g, 8% (85g) lighter than the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA's weight of 1050g.
Filter Threads
The Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS 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 Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA and the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
202.5mm.
On the other hand, the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 121mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 181.5mm.