The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 and the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS 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 55mm F2.8 TS is the longer of the two lenses at 169mm. The Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 with a length of 100mm, is 69mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS also has a larger diameter of 85mm compared to the Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4's 77mm 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. Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 weighs 677g, which means it is 668g (49%) lighter than the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS which has a weight of 1345g.
Filter Threads
The Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 and the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS 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.
Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 is also available in the Sony E and Nikon Z mounts.
Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS is also available in Sony E , Nikon Z, Leica L and Fujifilm G mounts.
Focal Range
Zeiss Otus 50mm f1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Laowa 55mm F2.8 TS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5mm when used on a 35mm FF format camera.
