The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z and the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF 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 12mm f2.8 MF is the longer of the two lenses at 80mm. The Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z with a length of 56mm, is 24mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z's 65mm 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. Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z weighs 175g, which means it is 215g (55%) lighter than the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF which has a weight of 390g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Nikon Z Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Nikon Z Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF 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 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF:
Lens Mounts
Both the Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z and the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF has the same Nikon Z lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Z lenses are RED Komodo-X 6K Z, Nikon Z50 II and Nikon Z30.
Venus 12mm f2.8 MF is also available in Sony E , Canon RF and Leica L mounts.
Focal Range
Viltrox 9mm F2.8 Z is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 9mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
13.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Venus 12mm f2.8 MF is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 18mm.
