The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS and the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x 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. Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS is the longer of the two lenses at 162mm. The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro with a length of 81mm, is 81mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro's 53mm 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. Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro weighs 289g, 76% (926g) lighter than the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS's weight of 1215g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro has a 46mm 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 Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro has the Leica L lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony ZV-E10 II, Sony A6700 and Sony FX30 for the Sony E Mount and Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE for the Leica L Mount.
Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS is also available in the Canon RF , Nikon Z, Leica L and Fujifilm G mounts.
Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is also available in Sony E , Leica M, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
150mm when used on a 35mm FF format camera.
On the other hand, the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 127.5mm.
