The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E and the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II 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. Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E is the longer of the two lenses at 61mm. The Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II with a length of 30mm, is 31mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II has a larger diameter of 65mm compared to the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E'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. Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II weighs 107g, 70% (257g) lighter than the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E's weight of 364g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II has a 41mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E:
And these are the 41mm filters that we recommend for the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E and the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V.
Focal Range
Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 50mm f2 E is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm.
On the other hand, the Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS II has a focal range of 16-50mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-75mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
