The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 15mm f4.5 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 15mm f4.5 is the longer of the two lenses at 48mm. The Venus Laowa 15mm f5 with a length of 25mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Venus 15mm f4.5 also has a larger diameter of 70mm 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 138g, 55% (170g) lighter than the Venus 15mm f4.5's weight of 308g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Venus 15mm f4.5 has a filter size of 62mm 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 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus 15mm f4.5:
And these are the 39mm filters that we recommend for the Venus Laowa 15mm f5:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 15mm f4.5 and the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V.
Venus 15mm f4.5 is also available in the Nikon Z , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Venus Laowa 15mm f5 is also available in Nikon Z , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of
15mm but while Venus 15mm f4.5 has the fastest aperture of
F4.5, the Venus Laowa 15mm f5's widest aperture value is
F5.
