The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S and the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 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. Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S is the longer of the two lenses at 63mm. The Venus Laowa 15mm f5 with a length of 25mm, is 38mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the Venus Laowa 15mm f5's 53mm 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. Venus Laowa 15mm f5 weighs 158g, 25% (55g) lighter than the Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S's weight of 213g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon RF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Canon RF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 has a 39mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S:
And these are the 39mm filters that we recommend for the Venus Laowa 15mm f5:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S and the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 has the same Canon RF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are Canon R50 V, Canon R100 and Canon R50.
Venus Laowa 15mm f5 is also available in Sony E , Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang AF 12mm f2 RF-S is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
19.2mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 15mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 22.5mm.
