The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH 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 12-24mm f5.6 Shift is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH with a length of 58mm, is 41mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH's 61mm 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. Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH weighs 310g, 46% (265g) lighter than the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift's weight of 575g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH has the same Leica M lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica M lenses are Pixii+, Epson R-D1x and Epson R-D1.
Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift is also available in the Sony E , Nikon Z, Canon RF, Fujifilm X and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift has a focal range of 12-24mm and
2.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
18-36mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f3.8 ASPH is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm.
