The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro and the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM 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. Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 132mm. The Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro with a length of 125mm, is 7mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM also has a larger diameter of 116mm compared to the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro's 72mm 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 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro weighs 638g, which means it is 1007g (61%) lighter than the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM which has a weight of 1645g.
Filter Threads
The Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM has a 105mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro:
And these are the 105mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro and the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM 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.
Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF2 mounts.
Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX) and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro 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.
On the other hand, the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 157.5mm when used on a 35mm FF format camera.