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 Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM 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 Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM with a length of 91mm, is 71mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM's 78mm 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. Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM weighs 500g, 58% (715g) 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 Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM has a 67mm 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 67mm filters that we recommend for the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS and the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM has the same Canon RF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are RED Komodo-X 6K, RED Komodo 6K and Canon EOS C70.
Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS is also available in the Sony E , Nikon Z, Leica L and Fujifilm G 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 Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 136mm.
