The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 200mm f2 and the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM 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. Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 193mm. The Laowa 200mm f2 with a length of 175mm, is 18mm shorter. On the other hand, the Laowa 200mm f2 has a larger diameter of 118mm compared to the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM's 94mm 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. Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM weighs 1590g, 10% (190g) lighter than the Laowa 200mm f2's weight of 1780g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 200mm f2 has a filter size of 105mm whereas the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 105mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Laowa 200mm f2:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 200mm f2 has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Laowa 200mm f2 is also available in the Nikon Z mount.
Focal Range
Laowa 200mm f2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
300mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 160 - 640mm.
