Compare lenses

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L vs Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8

The Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L and the Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 if you want a brighter f/2.8 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds and a fit on more cameras (39 against 22 in this guide). On these specs the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L has no clear advantage: choose it if the price, the handling or a lens you own decides it.

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L and the Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8

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 TS-E 17mm f/4L	Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8
Maker	Canon	Zeiss
Focal length	17mm (prime)	18mm (prime)
Full-frame equivalent	17mm	18mm
Maximum aperture	f/4	f/2.8brighter
Made for	Full frame	Full frame
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF, Nikon F
Stabilised	no	no
Autofocus	no, manual focus	no, manual focus
Cameras it fits	22 in this guide	39 in this guidefits more cameras

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L: 17mm.

Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8: 18mm.

Aperture

Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L: f/4 wide open.

Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8: f/2.8 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

22 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L fits 22 and the Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 39.