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 Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 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 85mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 138mm. The Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro with a length of 125mm, is 13mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 101mm compared to the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro 's 72mm 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. Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro weighs 638g, which means it is 502g (44%) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 which has a weight of 1140g.
Filter Threads
The Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 has a 86mm 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 86mm filters that we recommend for the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro and the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF2 and Sony E mounts.
Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 is also available in Canon EF mount.
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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
150mm.
On the other hand, the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 127.5mm.