The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 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. Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is the longer of the two lenses at 141mm. The Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD with a length of 92mm, is 49mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 also has a larger diameter of 92mm compared to the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD's 80mm 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. Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD weighs 540g, which means it is 430g (44%) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 which has a weight of 970g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 has a 77mm 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 Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD and the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Sony Alpha mounts.
Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Tamron 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
72mm.
On the other hand, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 88mm.