The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM 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 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II is the longer of the two lenses at 111mm. The Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM with a length of 69mm, is 42mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM's 70mm 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 DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM weighs 210g, 78% (764g) lighter than the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II's weight of 974g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM 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.
Focal Range
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II has a focal range of 24-70mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 36 - 105mm.
Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM has a focal range of 18-55mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-82.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.