The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 and the Canon 35mm f2.0 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The Canon 35mm f2.0 with a length of 43mm, is 94mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 also has a larger diameter of 88mm compared to the Canon 35mm f2.0's 67mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 and the Canon 35mm f2.0 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 28mm F1.4 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 42mm.
Canon 35mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 56mm.