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 TS-E 17mm f4L 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 TS-E 17mm f4L is the longer of the two lenses at 107mm. The Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 with a length of 93mm, is 14mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L 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. Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 weighs 721g, which means it is 99g (12%) lighter than the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L which has a weight of 820g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 and the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 is also available in 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 TS-E 17mm f4L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 27.2mm.