The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 17mm f4 Shift and the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM 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. Laowa 17mm f4 Shift is the longer of the two lenses at 111mm. The Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM with a length of 40mm, is 71mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 17mm f4 Shift also has a larger diameter of 93mm compared to the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM's 69mm 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. Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM weighs 165g, 78% (605g) lighter than the Laowa 17mm f4 Shift's weight of 770g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Perspective Control Prime Lenses in Canon RF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Canon RF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Laowa 17mm f4 Shift has a filter size of 86mm whereas the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM has a 43mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 86mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Laowa 17mm f4 Shift:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 17mm f4 Shift and the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM has the same Canon RF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are Canon R6 V, Canon R6 III and Canon C50.
Laowa 17mm f4 Shift is also available in the Sony E , Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 17mm f4 Shift is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
25.5mm.
On the other hand, the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 16mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.6mm.
