The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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. Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 125mm. The Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro with a length of 63mm, is 62mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro also has a larger diameter of 72mm compared to the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro's 68mm 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. Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro weighs 280g, 56% (358g) lighter than the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro's weight of 638g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Macro Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Macro Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro has a 52mm 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 Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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.
Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Pentax KAF2 and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 80mm.