The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF and the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom 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 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom is the longer of the two lenses at 91mm. The Venus 12mm f2.8 MF with a length of 77mm, is 14mm shorter. On the other hand, the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom'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. Venus 12mm f2.8 MF weighs 475g, which means it is 21g (4%) lighter than the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom which has a weight of 496g.
Filter Threads
The Venus 12mm f2.8 MF has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom has a 37mm 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 MF:
And these are the 37mm filters that we recommend for the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom:
Lens Mounts
The Venus 12mm f2.8 MF has the Leica L lens mount whereas the Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom has the Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE for the Leica L Mount and Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E Mount.
Venus 12mm f2.8 MF is also available in the Sony E , Nikon Z and Canon RF mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 12mm f2.8 MF 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 Venus 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 FE Zoom has a focal range of 10-18mm and 1.8X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 15 - 27mm.
