The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM 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. Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 112mm. The Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 with a length of 93mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8's 73mm 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. Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM weighs 635g, 11% (86g) lighter than the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8's weight of 721g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM has a 82mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8:
And these are the 82mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 is also available in the Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
28.8mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II USM has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.6 - 56mm.
