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 AF 16mm f1.8 Z 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. Viltrox AF 16mm f1.8 Z is the longer of the two lenses at 103mm. The Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift with a length of 99mm, is 4mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Viltrox AF 16mm f1.8 Z also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift's 80mm 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 AF 16mm f1.8 Z weighs 565g, 1% (10g) lighter than the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift's weight of 575g.
Filter Threads
Both the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the Viltrox AF 16mm f1.8 Z have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift and the Viltrox AF 16mm f1.8 Z has the same Nikon Z lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Z lenses are RED Komodo-X 6K Z, Nikon Z50 II and Nikon Z30.
Laowa 12-24mm f5.6 Shift is also available in the Sony E , Canon RF, Fujifilm X, 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 AF 16mm f1.8 Z is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 16mm.
