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 Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF 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 Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF with a length of 90mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF's 74mm 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. Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF weighs 420g, 26% (155g) 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 Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF 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 12-24mm f5.6 Shift:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF has the same Fujifilm X lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Fujifilm X lenses are Fujifilm X-T30 III, Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujifilm X-M5.
Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift is also available in the 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 Viltrox 13mm F1.4 XF is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 13mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 19.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
