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Laowa is one of the brand names used by Chinese manufacturer Venus Optics. We previously encountered Laowa when we produced a sample gallery of the full-frame Zero-D 12mm F2.8 – a lens that claims zero distortion and has exceptionally well corrected barrelling for any focal length let alone one with such a dramatic angle of view. This 7.5mm F2 lens is designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras and makes no such distortion claims, but is one of the widest focal lengths for the system and certainly stands out for its combination of wide angle and wide maximum aperture.
The lens is small but weighty, its solidity lending it a feel of a product well made. It is actually very nice to use, focuses smoothly and its 46mm thread means filters can be used – with care. It is manual focus, with the infinity setting at the left of the scale as you look down from the shooting position. The aperture ring doesn’t unclick and offers the smallest space between the penultimate F16 and ultimate F22 settings. It has a depth of field scale marked on the barrel along with distances, but I’m unconvinced that either is especially useful.
These sample images have been made using the lens on the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5.
See our Venus Laowa 7.5mm F2
sample gallery
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)