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 Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II 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. Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II is the longer of the two lenses at 172mm. The Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS with a length of 162mm, is 10mm shorter. On the other hand, the Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II's 83mm 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. Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II weighs 985g, 18% (230g) 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 Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II has a 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 100mm F2.8 TS has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are RED Komodo-X 6K, RED Komodo 6K and Canon EOS C70 for the Canon RF Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
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 Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 II has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 200-800mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
