Lens Reviews

Laowa Lenses (AKA Venus Optics) has released the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF, a newly-redesigned iteration of their popular ultra-wideangle. We tested the autofocus model on a Nikon Zf and the results were WOW! And somehow, in this confusing economy, the price is lower than its predecessor.

Overview & First Impressions
Hefty and solid, the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF weighs 13.8 ounces (390g) and feels good in the hand. It’s nicely balanced on the Nikon Zf we used during the evaluation. The version we tested was fully autofocus and performed faultlessly, replicating the positive experiences we've had with the other Laowa lenses we've reviewed.

Previously, we’ve reviewed several different Laowa fisheye lenses. And we recently reviewed the full-frame Laowa 15mm f/5 "Cookie" (pancake) and sincerely enjoyed the entire process. In fact, we wrote, "The Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF is highly recommended. The small size, light weight and superb image quality make it an easy choice for walk-abouts and creative explorations."

But that experience, as pleasant as it was, did not prepare us for the breathtaking ultra-wideangle view of the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF. Although the difference between 12mm and 15mm may seem small, when it comes to angle-of-view the disparity is more comprehensible as a number. AoV of the 12mm is 122º. For the 15mm, it's "only" 110º.

The Laowa 12mm f/2.8 is exceptionally wide, and requires a careful approach to avoid converging parallel lines. Deployed correctly, the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF exhibits nearly zero inherent distortion as claimed. Of course, you can introduce pleasantly bent and warped periphery objects to enhance the scene.

We got off on the right foot with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF and had fun using it. The focal length is not suitable for casual family snaps, but it's ideal for many specific situations, including architecture, building interiors, landscapes and travel photography when you're shooting is close quarters – like narrow streets or compact marketplaces. The combination of extreme angle-of-view, superb sharpness and exceptional closeup capabilities makes it an excellent choice for many creative endeavors.

Watch the official Laowa YouTube video here.

Name Confusion
Laowa Lenses is also known as Venus Optics. That's confusing enough. Marketing 101 recommends picking one brand name and sticking to it; repetition plus frequency is the name of the game. So I refer to them as Laowa, a brand I've come to respect more and more with each review.

More confusion: The all-new Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF wideangle, subject of this review, should not be confused with the preexisting Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D or Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine. Those are different products altogether. While many specifications are similar, there are significant differences in features and cost. This means you should be particularly careful when Googling availability and/or price, and flat-out fussy when placing an online order.

Laowa is headquartered in Hefei, a city in the eastern part of China, about a 5-hour drive from Shanghai. Their sales and marketing head office is in Hong Kong; they also have a distribution office in the United States. They claim to have only 131 employees, but frankly speaking, we suspect they employ off-duty Keebler Elves because there is no way less than 150 people could produce that many magnificent optics. After all, they DID name one of their lenses "Cookie."

Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF

Specifications & Features
Note that Nikon Z and Sony E mounts are available in autofocus versions as well as strictly manual focus models, albeit with a different aperture blade configuration. Canon R and L-Mount lenses are MF only. See matrix below for clearer understanding. AF is useful, especially if you switch from closeup to distant shots frequently, but for many applications, the extended depth-of-field overcomes the need for autofocus.

Frog Eye Coating
The front element of the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 is protected by a layer of Frog Eye Coating, something you must see to fully understand. Watch the video (link above) and witness a phenomenon beyond merely hydrophobic lens coatings. Frog Eye Coating aggressively repels droplets and dust like Angelina Jolie rejecting Billy Bob Thornton, with malice, in 2003.

I did not directly challenge the Frog Eye Coating during my brief tenure with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF wideangle, but can attest it remained remarkably clean during the five weeks I used it.

Optical Construction
The optical formula comprises 16 elements in 9 groups. It includes two glass aspherical elements and four Extra Low Dispersion elements. The front element is protected by Laowa's "Frog Eye" coating as explained above. Despite the abundance of glass, the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF wideangle is comfortably light in weight, tipping the scales at 13.8 ounces (390g).

Lens blanks are normally ground and polished by rotating them against an abrasive surface. Due to the laws of physics, the resultant glass element has a spherical surface determined by the rotational path. Logically, then, an aspherical lens requires a highly specialized process and equipment, and consequently is more expensive to produce.

By using aspherical elements, manufactures are able to more highly correct for a variety of optical aberrations. This is the principal reason modern computer-designed lenses, and lenses that include aspherical elements, are generally superior to older lenses when carefully compared.

Performance Summary
Reduced to one word, superb. Closeups as close as 5.5 inches (14cm) were especially dramatic, with near objects sharp and backgrounds beautifully rendered. Traditional ultra-wideangle shots were likewise remarkable. Depth of field (this is credited to optical physics again) was extreme, and if you have never used a 12mm wideangle, you're missed a lot.

Distortion is misunderstood, even by may otherwise savvy photographers. When properly used on-axis, the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF wideangle's performance is nearly free of distortion. Of course, tilting it up or down, off axis, can produce amazing converging parallel lines. This is true of all wideangle lenses and especially true of ultra-wideangles like those 20mm or shorter.

Long story told short, the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF is nearly distortion-free when used properly on axis. The overall performance in this regard was fantastic.

Conclusion
An autofocus (on Nikon Z and Sony E) 12mm f/2.8 for under $700? Yes! Sign me up, please. The Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF is an excellent performer that is surely guaranteed to give you a new, wider look at the world.

As an ultra-wideangle in its traditional role, this Laowa lens delivers sharp, nearly distortion-free vistas, and when used closeup (to 5.5 inches from sensor plane) the combination of super-sharp near objects and dreamy backgrounds provide an all-new creative canvas.

The autofocus mechanism was fast, accurate, and did not suffer from intermittent focus seeking the way some wideangle aftermarket lenses do.

Color rendition was spot on, without bias in any direction. Images were rendered with rich saturation and lifelike contrast. While many lenses relay a certain color cast, we found the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF to be color neutral. Nice!

Price & Availability
The Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Lite Zero-D FF is available today for $699. You can order directly from Laowa.

Super Wide and Super Sharp: Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie — Review & Image Gallery
Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Circular Fisheye Lens Review
Venus Optics Just Introduced the Weirdest Lens You’ve Ever Seen: The Laowa 24mm f/14 Macro
Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Lens for Fujifilm X Review

Image Gallery (copyrighted images provided by Laowa)
See more on Laowa's website.

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