The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II and the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 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. Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is the longer of the two lenses at 128mm. The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 52mm, is 76mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II's 63mm 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. Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II weighs 320g, which means it is 600g (65%) lighter than the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 which has a weight of 920g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II and the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 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.
Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II is also available in the Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 is also available in Canon EF mount.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
135mm.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2/135 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.