The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS 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 E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS is the longer of the two lenses at 108mm. The Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS with a length of 106mm, is 2mm shorter. On the other hand, the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS's 64mm 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. Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS weighs 345g, which means it is 620g (64%) lighter than the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS which has a weight of 965g.
Filter Threads
The Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS has a filter size of 49mm 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 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS:
Lens Mounts
The Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony ZV-E10 II, Sony A6700 and Sony FX30 for the Sony E Mount and Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Hartblei Macro 120mm F4 TS is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS has a focal range of 55-210mm and
3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
82.5-315mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
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.
