The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Laowa 17mm f4 TS and the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS 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 TS is the longer of the two lenses at 111mm. The Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS with a length of 99mm, is 12mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 17mm f4 TS also has a larger diameter of 93mm compared to the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS's 78mm 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. Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS weighs 518g, 36% (292g) lighter than the Laowa 17mm f4 TS's weight of 810g.
Filter Threads
The Laowa 17mm f4 TS has a filter size of 86mm whereas the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS has a 72mm 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 TS:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Laowa 17mm f4 TS and the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS 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.
Laowa 17mm f4 TS is also available in the Leica L , Nikon Z and Canon RF mounts.
Focal Range
Laowa 17mm f4 TS 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 Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS 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.
