The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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. Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is the longer of the two lenses at 141mm. The Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro with a length of 63mm, is 78mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 also has a larger diameter of 92mm compared to the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro's 68mm 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 50mm f2.5 Macro weighs 280g, 71% (690g) lighter than the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55's weight of 970g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro has a 52mm 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 Otus 1.4/55:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro 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 Otus 1.4/55 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
88mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 80mm.