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 RF 135mm F1.8 L IS 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. Laowa 200mm f2 is the longer of the two lenses at 175mm. The Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM with a length of 130mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 200mm f2 also has a larger diameter of 118mm compared to the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM's 89mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Laowa 200mm f2 and Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Laowa 200mm f2 and the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM 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. Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM weighs 935g, 47% (845g) 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 RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM has a 82mm 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 82mm filters that we recommend for the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM:
Lens Mounts
The Laowa 200mm f2 has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM has the Canon RF 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 Canon R6 V , Canon R6 III and Canon C50 for the Canon RF 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 RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 135mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 216mm .
