The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro and the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM 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. Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM is the longer of the two lenses at 118mm. The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro with a length of 81mm, is 37mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro's 53mm diameter.
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Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro and Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
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. Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro weighs 291g, which means it is 409g (58%) lighter than the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM which has a weight of 700g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM has a 72mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro and the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is also available in Leica M , Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 85mm f5.6 2x Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
127.5mm.
On the other hand, the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150mm.