The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 105mm F2 and the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA 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. Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA is the longer of the two lenses at 115mm. The Venus 105mm F2 with a length of 99mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Venus 105mm F2's 76mm 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 105mm F2 weighs 745g, which means it is 305g (29%) lighter than the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA which has a weight of 1050g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Venus 105mm F2 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA 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 Venus 105mm F2:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 105mm F2 and the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA 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.
Venus 105mm F2 is also available in Sony E , Canon EF, Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF2 mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 105mm F2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
157.5mm.
On the other hand, the Sony 135mm F1.8 ZA is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 202.5mm.