The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 12mm f2.8 AF and the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z 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. Venus 12mm f2.8 AF is the longer of the two lenses at 80mm. The 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z with a length of 32mm, is 48mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Venus 12mm f2.8 AF also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z's 61mm 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. 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z weighs 146g, 62% (244g) lighter than the Venus 12mm f2.8 AF's weight of 390g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Nikon Z Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Nikon Z Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Venus 12mm f2.8 AF has a filter size of 72mm whereas the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z has a 49mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus 12mm f2.8 AF:
And these are the 49mm filters that we recommend for the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 12mm f2.8 AF and the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z has the same Nikon Z lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Z lenses are Nikon ZR, Nikon Z5 II and RED Komodo-X 6K Z.
Venus 12mm f2.8 AF is also available in the Sony E mount.
Focal Range
Venus 12mm f2.8 AF is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
18mm.
On the other hand, the 7Artisans FF 18mm f5.6 Z is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 27mm.
