The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM 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. Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM is the longer of the two lenses at 122mm. The Venus Laowa 15mm f5 with a length of 25mm, is 97mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM also has a larger diameter of 89mm 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, which means it is 542g (79%) lighter than the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM which has a weight of 680g.
Filter Threads
The Venus Laowa 15mm f5 has a filter size of 39mm whereas the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has a 82mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 39mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus Laowa 15mm f5:
And these are the 82mm filters that we recommend for the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus Laowa 15mm f5 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM 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 Laowa 15mm f5 is also available in the Nikon Z , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
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.
On the other hand, the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.
