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 Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED 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. Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED is the longer of the two lenses at 136mm. The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 52mm, is 84mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED also has a larger diameter of 77mm 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 365g (53%) lighter than the Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED which has a weight of 685g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED has a 67mm 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 67mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED:
Lens Mounts
The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II has the Pentax KAF lens mount whereas the Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED has the Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF Mount and , and for the Pentax KAF2 Mount.
Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II is also available in the Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
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 Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED has a focal range of 50-135mm and 2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 75-202.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
