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 OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO 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. Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II with a length of 84mm, is 15mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II's 70mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II Size and Weight 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. OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II weighs 382g, 33% (193g) lighter than the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift's weight of 575g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift has a filter size of 77mm whereas the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II has a 62mm 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 12-24mm f5.6 Shift:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift has the Fujifilm X lens mount whereas the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount . Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Fujifilm X-T30 III , Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm X-M5 for the Fujifilm X Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro , OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Sony E , Nikon Z , Canon RF , Leica L and Leica M 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 OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II has a focal range of 12-40mm and 3.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-80mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
