The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA is the longer of the two lenses at 108mm. The Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ with a length of 71mm, is 37mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ's 64mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ weighs 281g, 63% (497g) lighter than the Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA's weight of 778g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7R V, Sony FX30 and Sony A7 IV.
Focal Range
Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA 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.
Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 82.5mm.