Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM vs Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 950 g | 364 g |
| Weather sealed | true | false |
| Min focal | 135 mm | 50 mm |
| Max focal | 135 mm | 50 mm |
Between the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM and APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE, the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM comes out ahead in weather sealed / min focal, while the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE wins on weight. Overall, the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM scores 74.3 and the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE scores 70.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The FE 135mm f/1.8 GM edges ahead on the Mars Score (74.3 vs 70.9), but the 3.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM if you care most about weather sealed / min focal. The biggest gaps in its favor are weather sealed, min focal, max focal. The single most decisive one: Has Weather sealed.
Pick the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight. The single most decisive one: Weight — 586.00 g less. 364 vs 950.
Both ship with comparable optical stabilization, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM or Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE?
Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM leads the current Mars Score by 3.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare min focal, max focal, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM if…
Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM has the measurable edge on weather sealed, focal min mm, focal max mm.
Choose Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE if…
Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE has the measurable edge on weight g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM wins
- ▲Has Weather sealed.
- ▲Min focal: 135 (vs 50).
- ▲Max focal: 135 (vs 50).
Why Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE wins
- ▲Weight — 586.00 g less. 364 vs 950.
Spec comparison
Optics
| Spec | Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Min focal | 135 mmlead | 50 mm |
| Max focal | 135 mmlead | 50 mm |
| Max aperture | f/1.8 | f/2 |
| Min aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
Build
| Spec | Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 950 g | 364 glead |
| Weather sealedⓘ | truelead | false |
| Optical stabilizationⓘ | false | false |
Mount
| Spec | Sony - FE 135mm f/1.8 GM | Voigtländer - APO-Lanthar 50mm f/2 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Lens mount | Sony E | Sony E |