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 f4L IS 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 f4L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 113mm. The Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 with a length of 93mm, is 20mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 83mm 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 f4L IS USM weighs 615g, 14% (106g) lighter than the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8's weight of 721g.
Filter Threads
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS 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 f4L IS 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.
