SHOULD I GET THE SONY 100mm STF LENS OR THE LAOWA 105mm STF [THERE IS A HUGE PRICE DIFFERENCE]



Towards the end of 2016, because of issues that I have encountered with third party lenses and adapters, I made the decision to only purchase top end native glass for my Sony A7RM2 but this decision is proving to be very expensive and could be very expensive in the long term. One reason why I decided to stick with GM lenses is that they are designed to work with really high resolution sensors and are, therefore, future-proofed to some extent.

Up until a few days ago I was planning to purchase a Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS but then I came across some reviews of the Venus Optics Laowa 105mm F2 Smooth Trans Focus lens and it was rated very highly by the reviewers.

I can purchase the Sony 100mm locally for Euro 1939.00 and I can import it from the US [all charges and taxes paid]for Euro 1730.00. However I can import the Laowa for as little as Euro 750 and that is a huge difference.

The problem with the Laowa is that it is totally manual and therefore a lot more difficult for someone like myself to use.

Some reviewers have indicated that if one already has the Sony 90mm Macro lens there is little to be gained by getting the Sony 100mm or the Laowa.

I already have the Sony 90mm macro so yesterday I decided to use it in manual mode to see if I could live with a manual lens or if I could justify paying about Euro 1200 extra for the Sony GM lens.

Unfortunately, based on my visit to Mount Jerome cemetery, I could not decide what to do but I did decide that I need to use the Sony 90mm more frequently because it is an excellent lens.

To be honest, I think that I will not purchase either the Laowa or the Sony STF.

There is also a new complication in that my Sony A7RM2 is approaching the end of its life and I suspect that I will need a replacement within the next twelve months.

Based on the fact that Sony A9 is retailing at Euro 5250 here in Ireland it is likely that an A9R would cost 7,000 or more and at that price I would seriously consider getting a Fuji GFX 50s Medium Format body at Euro 7000.

There are rumours that Sony are working on a Medium Format camera but I suspect that such a camera could be very expensive and may also need a different collection of lenses.

There are also rumours that Sony may introduce a A7RIII but I would be unwilling to pay 3,000 or 4,000 Euro for an upgrade so I would give the mark III a miss and wait for a mark IV.