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 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. Venus 12mm f2.8 MF is the longer of the two lenses at 80mm. The Venus Laowa 15mm f5 with a length of 25mm, is 55mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF also has a larger diameter of 77mm 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 154g, 60% (236g) lighter than the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF'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 MF has a filter size of 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF:
And these are the 39mm filters that we recommend for the Venus Laowa 15mm f5:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF and the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 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 MF is also available in the Sony E , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Venus Laowa 15mm f5 is also available in Sony E , Canon RF and Leica L 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 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.
