The new lens features the same optical construction as its fully-manual predecessor (13 elements in nine groups), but adds an electronically-controlled aperture at the cost of reducing the number of aperture blades to five (there are seven in the manual version).
As for dimensions, the lens comes in at 3mm (.12”) larger in diameter and 7mm shorter (.28”) than the manual version. Also, despite adding the electronic aperture control and onboard CPU chip, Venus Optics managed to reduce the lens’ weight to 150g (5.3oz), down from the 170g (6oz) weight of the manual version.
Below is a video review of the lens from YouTube channel RED35:
If I'm always shooting in either aperture priority or full manual, then it seems that electronically controlled aperture in the lens really doesn't buy me anything... Am I missing something?
I have the Laowa 9mm Zero D 2.8 on my Canon M50 and it never leaves. Its my favorite lens ever. The auto aperture would allow other functions in cameras using auto or semi auto features as well as drone work.
It is wonderful to read all the positive comments here. It seems no-one minds the terrible vignetting (4 stops or more at f/2) or the inaccurate distance scale (would this really be so difficult to get right for an advanced optics company?) and, in my 7.5mm lens at least, a much smaller decrease in shutter speed going from f/4 to f/2 (it should be a factor of 4 but my lens only gives a factor of 2.5 -- indicating that "f/2" is actually closer to f/2.5). I am not going to complain about the strong coma in the corners, this is not terribly surprising for such a compact UWA lens. But, in my opinion, these other problems degrade this lens enormously, making its performance much less than its specifications would suggest.
Such a good lens, and now even better. A lot of third party M43 lenses are an APSC lenses with a M43 mount (ahem, sigma, cough). Thankyou Laowa for giving us a lens specifically designed for M43 and something that is unique to the system. Keep up the good work and I hope you make lots of money supporting the M43 mount.
How about a wide angle zoom next that does great sun/starbursts without having to stop down to F11.
DPR, Do you know if the electronic contacts are also used to communicate the lens characteristics to the camera and allow for in-camera lens correction ? Thanks.
This is an MFT lens. The vast majority of AF MFT lenses have no aperture ring. The few that have one are some expensive "PanaLeica" lenses. Moreover, aperture rings are not supported by Olympus bodies, as far as I know.
Impulses, But the OP certainly wants both electronic contacts and an aperture ring that "communicates" with the body to work in Aperture Priority mode. But this is possible with Panasonic bodies only.
It's not, the 10/2 had electronic aperture control as well, one of their recent M4/3 2x macros too, I don't think they've released and Sony E mount lenses with electronics but they've done similar stuff for EF mount with a macro.
They're getting there... On UWA primes and macros I'm not really bothered by it one way or the other, I gotta admit I shied away from trying their FF 10-18 zoom because never having FL EXIT on a zoom would irritate me.
If the optical formula is the same as the original lens, the new one can't be 7mm shorter. That would require shaving off or leaving off the front element.
It's a great lens which I've had since it first came out. I've sold my 7-14 Olympus as it never got used again.
@Henning W No it doesn't. First of all the new lens is tilted up because of the contacts plastic protrusion (check your own Olympus lenses) & is a little closer too. You've obviously not noticed there is no aperture ring. Check the Specs page. https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-7-5mm-f2/
I'm sorry that geometry and measurement are not your strengths. Please read my original post again to try to understand why the new lens cannot be 7mm shorter than the old one.
People can make mistakes writing out specs; an updated lens with the same optics cannot be made shorter than those optics allow. That's it. QED.
OK, I've checked the images (copied & pasted to adjust scale accurately) & the error is with the original lens specs for the length of the lens & isn't 55mm as it appears, but does it extend for focussing?
I have the old version and I like it! Did what it promised. Near zero distortion, (with huge vignette though), compact and reasonably sharp. F2 did come handy several time at night too!
Know-how. AF lenses require different design. It's not like you can just slap on a motor and get an AF lens. Alas, they now have access to all the technical specs of MFT standard (as MFT consortium member), so that removes the need for reverse engineering the communication protocols.
I think they will eventually get there. Give them some time. They just started chipping their lenses and providing electronic aperture control. It takes time to develop their tech and design new products with AF in mind.
As for why no such lenses from Olympus/Panasonic? Good question. One that MFT users were asking themselves for years now.
Olympus/Panasonic can they just choose not to, wide zooms are the name of the game. Small prime wides would hit that part of the lens market and that eats into profits
I don't think it's about not cannibalizing sales of the zooms, the zooms just sell better, for UWA and in general... How many primes have Only/Pana launched > 70mm vs how many zooms? Same deal, only UWA is even more niche than long tele. Would be nice if they tried at least once tho, going for the 8mm Pro fisheye over an UWA was kinda weird.
It's not like this is exclusive to Oly & Pana tho, Sony didn't make an UWA prime < 20mm until this month when the 14GM came out, and the 20/1.8 G is only two years old... The likes of Laowa, VoIgtlander, Samyang, Nisi, and others do make a ton more MF UWAs for FF than for smaller formats tho, with a handful of AF ones (from Samyang, 18/2.8 & 14/2.8).
Not going to happen with OMD a and Panasonic their wide zooms are a protected species ortherwise they would have made some small primes a long time ago, they have the ability and know how On the mft forum interest in the 10mm and 7.5 mm is not very high. Since the 10 mm came out very few posts have been about the lens. If it was a great lens as opposed to a good lens then the posters there would be keen buyers
i have this lens and with no AF, i found MF every pic too much trouble. i just use it with focus at the infinity mark (not sure if that mark is accurately placed but pics look ok) i know i lost a lot of DOF but this is more convenient
I saw loads of threads about the 7.5/2 back when it first came out a few years ago... Multiple comparisons with the zooms, etc. /shrug I think it was a fairly stool product for Laowa or they wouldn't have doubled down with the 20/2 and now this update of the 7.5/2. Heck they even brought the APS-C 9/2.8 to M4/3 based on the interest they surveyed.
This is a minor update in the grand scheme of things so it's not bound to re-ignite a lot of new interest, those that were on the fence or would benefit from electronic aperture control already know it. The 10/2 is a less extreme FL so it might not raise as many eyebrows either, tho I'd argue it's a more useful FL overall and it's a little better optically than the 7.5/2 based on what I've seen (I only own the latter but do own a 20mm equivalent).
@red pencil "Not much forum action on the forum as regards to the 7.5 same went with the 10mm"
On the contrary. The 7.5 is probably the most popular of the third party MF lenses on MFT forum. I've seen people posting photos taken with it all the time.
This is confirmed by DPR's gear lists. It's BY FAR the most popular of all Laowa lenses across all the formats.
The 10mm is still very new and I'm sure the pandemic did not have a positive impact on people buying new lenses and shooting with them. Alas, I've seen a few threads dedicated to it. I don't quite expect it to be the same kind of hit, though.
if Laowa can make 7.5mm AF, it will be a blockbuster. until than it will be just niche. 9-18mm is still the most useful ultrawide for MFT. With DXO DeepPrime, the F4 at 9mm is no longer a problem, 155 gram only 9-18mm together with the pancake 35-100 serve all my need and is the reason i am in MFT
That's about the best improvement we could ask for short going all the way and adding AF, and this is one where that doesn't matter a whole lot. The ability to fully integrate with the camera's exposure control and AE plus EXIF makes for a very useful addition.
Does anybody know if adjusting the focus on a "chipped" Laowa lens enables the focus magnifier on the camera?
I have a Laowa 17mm ƒ/1.8 C-Dreamer, which has no microchip. While it was excellent value for money ($140!), it really slows me down to hit the camera's magnifier button to focus and then hit it again to compose the shot.
@PocketPixels: I don’t know about the rest of their ‘chipped’ lenses, but that is indeed the case for this one. I’ll inquire with Laos about others and update this article to clarify that functionality with this lens.
@jkgal a "huge improvement" doesn't have to mean a change in optical formula. My Laowa lens has no chip and cannot trigger my camera's focus assist feature. Adding a microchip would be a huge improvement. The optical quality is already B+ or even A-, so no optical improvement is needed.
@jkgal yes as PocketPixels said, huge improvement doesn't have to be from optics. The usability of the lens have improved a lot because of the "chip". Auto pop up magnifiying view, no need to manually set the focal length everytime after you swap the lens (from another full manual lens), auto aperture, ability to find the image in your catalogue easily because of EXIF data, and also you could apply profile correction easily as well for same reason (if someone makes one)...etc
and yes i'm working on a review of this lens, slightly later than usual this time but I rather finish off all the testing than rush it. If you have questions about the lens, feel free to ask i will try answer them here.
Now we're talking. I have the 10mm Laowa, which has data transfer and "zero-D" (which means sharp corners due to no need for barrel correction). When looking at batches of images, having the data is very helpful.
I wish Laowa would make their UWA's with weather sealing. I do understand that they will get bigger in size. The only reason why I need WR on a lens like this is because when I am out shooting I will leave the camera/lens mounted on a tripod overnight. I own an 8-18... although it is pretty compact I use the 14-140 way more outdoors and a single small prime like this would be a great alternative for backpacking/bikepacking
It's not like you're gonna be particularly worried about bokeh ball shapes with a lens like this, and a lot of people like prominent sunstars on UWAs and Laowa's 5 straight blades tend to excel at that.
Dan_168: 7 straight blades provide 14-point starbursts, which I have found to be the ideal number (many viewers can subitize ten of something; few can subitize 14). But that is entirely a personal preference.
My Pentax Limited lenses (green ring) taught me to chase after sunstars/starbursts. Those lenses have 7 straight aperture blades and produce the best spiky stars I've ever seen, so I've been "conditioned" to prefer 7 blades, which the older Laowa version also had. But I see @Impulses prefers 5 blades, so opinions vary.
I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, just commenting on what I've seen on the lenses and what I've read others like really. I don't think (but don't hold me to this) that the 7 blades on the old version were straight tho, so the sunstars might not be quite as prominent on it regardless of the # of spikes.
Alright, I get it - sunstars are hip. :) I don't argue that they might add to an image but my lens of choice has 9 rounded blades and I never complained about how it renders in that particular area...
Kudos to Lowa for adding electronic controls for this lens. As a Sony shooter, I hope they will add this capability to their E range of lenses to compete with Voightlander and Zeiss Loxia.
I hope this is the start of the new trend of having electronic contact on all their lens too. i do have a few E-Mount Laowa too, the 15 F2.0 is one of my major Astro lens on the Sony platform. even the 15GM is already here but I know I will be using the Laowa side by side also
Since E-mount isn't as open as MFT (don't let Sony's 2011 PR stunt fool you, it's not actually open, plenty of evidence of that such as Metabones' FAQ and throwing the MC-11 on a logic analyzer), it'll take a while
I know they're working on it and were looking to hire an engineer to help with it, but I am not sure where that went. (They reached out to me to ask about my reverse engineering efforts, and I gave them a few suggestions as to people whom I've collaborated with that might have more availability for a consulting gig.)
I know for a fact that as of a year or so ago when they talked to me, Sony refused to work with them/provide any useful documentation.
Zeiss got access through their long standing cross-branding/contract manufacturing partnership that predates 2011. Same for Tamron. I'm guessing at least one Sony lens is CMed by Cosina which explains how their Voigtlander subsidiary pulled it off.
Excellent. It's a good thing that finally there are more and more manual lenses for MFT with contacts and automatic aperture. Hopefully, this will motivate other manufacturers of manual lenses, like Voigtländer/Cosina, to do the same.
That said, the prominent image shows the old lens. The new one has no aperture ring.
If their other recent UWAs are any indication, the change in aperture blades will also result in nicer or more prominent looking sunstars even at f2.8-4... If I was still using mine more I'd probably swap it for this version, the lens is great tho, I'm just not shooting wide on M4/3 much.
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 R WR is an premium fast aperture portrait prime for the company's X-mount cameras. Find out how it performs in our review.
In the first of a series of in-depth reviews of the best heavy duty 'Systematic' tripods, we're taking a look at the Gitzo Systematic Series 3 (GT3543LS). The big Gitzo is where it all started, so how does it hold up against today's competition?
We've just completed our full review of the Zeiss ZX1. With a 37MP full-frame sensor, minimalist controls and Lightroom Mobile built in, it remains a refreshing – if quirky – take on the smartphone-meets-camera concept.
The EOS M50 Mark II is a compact, likable interchangeable lens camera with a 24MP APS-C sensor and direct-to-Youtube live streaming capability – but it comes with one big caveat. Find out how the M50 II performs in our full review.
If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that might be a bit older but still offer a lot of bang for the buck.
What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
What’s the best camera for less than $1000? The best cameras for under $1000 should have good ergonomics and controls, great image quality and be capture high-quality video. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing under $1000 and recommended the best.
Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we've chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.
After initially postponing the announcement earlier this month, Sony Japan has confirmed a new camera will be announced at 23:00 JST (10am EDT, 7am PDT) on July 27, 2021.
The Fujifilm Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 R WR is an premium fast aperture portrait prime for the company's X-mount cameras. Find out how it performs in our review.
We've given our drone buying guide a complete refresh, so whether you're looking for something compact to take on vacation, or something for more professional work, we've got you covered.
In the first of a series of in-depth reviews of the best heavy duty 'Systematic' tripods, we're taking a look at the Gitzo Systematic Series 3 (GT3543LS). The big Gitzo is where it all started, so how does it hold up against today's competition?
In this week's episode, Chris compares the Nikon Z7 II and Sony a7R IV for landscape photography, with a close look at their displays, image quality, lens lineups and more.
Neil Armstrong captured an iconic image during the Apollo 11 moon landing of Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface. A Reddit user, Michael Ranger, 'unwrapped' the reflection to show us what Aldrin saw through his visor during that historic photograph.
It was the mechanically quirky Soviet-era Pentacon Six that lead photographer Michael Elliot to fall in love with medium format photography. Find out why a love/hate relationship with your gear can actually be a good thing in this week's Film Friday.
A glitch in Hubble's payload computer took the venerable observatory offline for over a month. Fortunately, a dedicated team of current Hubble engineers and alumni could ascertain the issue and switch a power control unit over to a backup unit.
Matt Woods was relaxing on his balcony when he decided to launch his DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone and capture some footage. To his horror, he discovered a lone swimmer using a speargun to ward off a predatory mako shark.
Capture One 21 (14.3.0) is now available. The free update adds new improvements and features, streamlined workflow tools and improved camera and lens support.
The winning photos for the 2021 World Landscape Photographer competition have been announced, including an incredible overall winning photograph of the Irish coast from photographer Felix Sproll.
Less than a year after the Mavic Air 2 hit the market, DJI released its successor, the Air 2S. Its build is almost identical but there are some notable differences. Which drone in this series is right for you?
Gorilla Glass DX and DX+ Are multi-layer glass composite materials that Corning claims can both increase light transmission and improve the durability of camera modules on smartphones.
Negative Supply has launched its new pocket-sized, all-metal digital light meter on Kickstarter. The LM1 is a sleek light meter designed to deliver both form and function.
We've just completed our full review of the Zeiss ZX1. With a 37MP full-frame sensor, minimalist controls and Lightroom Mobile built in, it remains a refreshing – if quirky – take on the smartphone-meets-camera concept.
This week, Chris and Jordan highlight six episodes of DPReview TV that got lost in the news cycle. Discover a few great videos you may have missed, including some of their personal favorites.
The budget lens offers 2x magnification at a 90mm full-frame equivalent focal length for Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems.
Tamron has just announced the 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD - a superzoom lens for APS-C, which will be available for both Sony E mount and (for the first time) Fujifilm X mount.
Premiere Pro 15.4 adds native support for Apple's M1 Macs and brings an Adobe Sensei-powered Speech to Text tool that dramatically reduces the time needed to make videos more accessible and engaging.
With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, Canon has announced its plans for the upcoming events, including a photo service center for professional photographers, which Canon says will be the largest photo service center in Tokyo.
The investors note states 'interest in and demand for cameras increased […] particularly for full-frame mirrorless cameras and interchangeable lenses.'
We're at the North Fork Championships in Idaho with drone pilot and gimbal specialist Alex Emberlin and a fleet of DJI products, including the new FPV drone. Our mission? To capture this exhilarating event from every angle.
YouTube user befinitiv 3D printed a film canister holder and attached a Raspberry Pi camera module and a few other parts to convert a Cosina film camera into a digital camera capable of live streaming video over Wi-Fi, all for around $50.
The unusual Leica/Hughes Leitz 17mm F2 prototype fisheye lens currently for sale at Leica Store Lisse in the Netherlands. The 12kg lens is one of a kind, and the owner is asking for offers starting at just over $47,000.
Comments