Venus Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus vs Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro

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Venus 105mm F2

Telephoto Prime | Sony Alpha

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Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro

Macro Prime | Sony Alpha

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Venus 105mm F2 vs Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two lenses with different focal types: Venus 105mm F2 is a Telephoto Prime lens with a 105mm focal range and a max aperture of F2 whereas Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro is a Macro Prime lens with a 100mm focal range and max aperture of F2.8.

We will start with briefly looking and the main specs of these two lenses and in the section, we will start analyzing in more detail and list the pros and cons of each lenses.

Venus 105mm F2 Key Specs

105mm Focal Range

F2 Max Aperture

Filter Thread: 67mm

Max Format: 35mm FF

Sony Alpha Mount

Weight: 745g.

Diameter: 76mm

Length: 99mm

Min Focus Distance:0.9m

Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro Key Specs

100mm Focal Range

F2.8 Max Aperture

Filter Thread: 55mm

Max Format: 35mm FF

Sony Alpha Mount

Weight: 505g.

Diameter: 75mm

Length: 99mm

Min Focus Distance:0.35m

Max Magnification:1x

What type of photography are the Venus 105mm F2 and Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro lenses good for?

The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 105mm F2 and the Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro for their suitability to various photography scenarios:

Photography Type	Venus 105mm F2	Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro
Bird/Wildlife	Average	Average
Sports	Good	Average
Portrait	Excellent	Good
Travel	Fair	Fair
Street	Average	Fair
Wedding	Very Good	Good
Walk Around	Fair	Fair
Vlogging	Average	Fair
Landscape	Fair	Fair

Size and Weight Comparison

Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro weighs 505g, 32% (240g) lighter than the Venus 105mm F2's weight of 745g.

Lens Mounts

Both Venus 105mm F2 and Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.

Venus 105mm F2 is also available in Sony E , Canon EF, Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF2 mounts.

Focal Range

Venus 105mm F2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 105mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 157.5mm.
Sony 100mm F2.8 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 an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150mm.

Reasons to choose Venus Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus over Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro

Focal Length - Tele	105mm vs 100mm	5mm more Tele coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2 vs 2.8	Wider aperture at wide end
Max Aperture - Tele	2 vs 2.8	Wider aperture at tele end
Focus Type	Internal Focusing vs Extending front	Length of the lens doesn't change during focusing
Aperture Ring	Yes vs No	able to adjust the aperture on the lens

Reasons to choose Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro over Venus Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus

Focal Length - Wide	100mm vs 105mm	5mm Wider coverage
Autofocus	Yes vs No	Easier, faster and more accurate focusing
Weight	505g vs 745g	240g lighter
Diameter	75mm vs 76mm	1mm smaller in diameter
Filter Thread	55mm vs 67mm	Smaller filters are cheaper and easier to find
Minimum Focus Distance	0.35m vs 0.9m	can focus closer to the subject
Max Magnification	1x vs x	higher magnification better for close-up shots

Common Strengths of Venus Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus and Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro

Distance Scale	Yes vs Yes	Distance Scale to assist focusing
Depth-of-Field Scale	Yes vs Yes	Depth of Field scale to assist focusing

Common Weaknesses of Venus Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus and Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro

Image Stabilization	No vs No	Reliant on in-body Image Stabilization
Weather Sealing	No vs No	not safe under rain and dust

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Venus 105mm F2 vs Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General
Brand	Venus	Sony
Lens Type	Prime	Prime
Price	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE
Lens Type	Telephoto Prime	Macro Prime
Lens Mount	Sony Alpha	Sony Alpha
Max Format	35mm FF	35mm FF
Focal Range	105mm	100mm
Image Stabilization		No
Colour	Unknown	Black
Zoom Method	No Zoom	No Zoom
Power Zoom	No	No
Zoom Lock	No	No
Zoom Ratio	1.0X	1.0X
Aperture
Max Aperture	F2	F2.8
Min Aperture	F22	F32.0
Aperture Ring	Yes	No
Diaphragm Blades	9	9
Optics
Optical Elements	11	8
Optical Groups	8	8
Focusing
Min Focus Distance	0.9m	0.35m
Max Magnification	unknown	1X
Autofocus	No	Yes
AF Motor Type	No AF	Screw drive from camera
Full Time Manual	Yes
Focus Method	Internal	Extending front
Distance Scale	Yes	Yes
DoF Scale	Yes	Yes
Distance Scale	Yes	Yes
Focus Distance Limiter	Unknown	Unknown
Physical Specs
Weight	745g	505g
Diameter	76mm	75mm
Length	99mm	99mm
Materials	Unknown	Unknown
Weather Sealing	No	Unknown
Filter Thread	67mm	55mm
Filter Notes	-	-
Hood Supplied	Unknown	Yes
Hood Code	Unknown	Unknown
Tripod Collar	Unknown	No
Optional Accessories	-	-
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