The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 L and the Nikon 28mm f2.8D 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. Nikon 28mm f2.8D is the longer of the two lenses at 45mm. The Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 L with a length of 26mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 28mm f2.8D also has a larger diameter of 65mm compared to the Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 L'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 Laowa 4mm F2.8 L weighs 135g, which means it is 70g (34%) lighter than the Nikon 28mm f2.8D which has a weight of 205g.
Lens Mounts
The Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 L has the Leica L lens mount whereas the Nikon 28mm f2.8D has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Leica TL2, Leica TL and Leica T Typ 701 for the Leica L Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Focal Range
Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 4mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
6mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Nikon 28mm f2.8D is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 42mm.
