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Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM vs Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro

The Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM and the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM if you want optical stabilisation, which helps most on bodies without it; autofocus; and a design for APS-C, which usually means smaller and lighter. Pick the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro if you want a brighter f/2 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds; coverage of full frame, so it suits the larger-sensor bodies too; and a fit on more cameras (39 against 14 in this guide).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM and the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM	Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro
Maker	Canon	Zeiss
Focal length	35mm (macro)	50mm (macro)
Full-frame equivalent	52mm on APS-C	50mm
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/2brighter
Made for	APS-C	Full frame
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF, Nikon F
Stabilised	yesstabilised	no
Autofocus	yesautofocus	no, manual focus
Cameras it fits	14 in this guide	39 in this guidefits more cameras

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM: 35mm on APS-C, like 52mm.

Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro: 50mm.

Aperture

Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM: f/2.8 wide open.

Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro: f/2 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

14 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM fits 14 and the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Macro 39.