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Archive 2017 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

tsdevine
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p.11 #1 · p.11 #1 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

So this is all based on a few test shots, but the Laowa vignettes more than the Zeiss (but not as much as the CV.) The Zeiss cleans up as you stop down, and while the Laowa does as well, it still shows more vignetting at f/11 than the Zeiss. But stopped down, the Laowa doesn't vignette as bad as the Zeiss does wide open.

I hope that makes sense.

-Tim

Dec 10, 2017 at 05:24 AM

josh-himes
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p.11 #2 · p.11 #2 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

tsdevine wrote:
So I did get the Laowa yesterday, did some quick and dirty testing this morning. I think it's a keeper, probably going to put my CV 15 on the chopping block. I don't do enough sunstar shooting to keep 3 15mm lenses. Given the sale price on a new Zeiss ZE 15mm, I'd have to probably set a crazy low price for it to move.

I did notice that the Laowa seems to have a flatter field than the other two lenses. When shooting 45 degree angle test shots, both the CV and the Zeiss gave sharp foreground corners by f/8...Show more →

Agreed completely on the flat field at infinity. You really have to check your focus carefully and stop down accordingly if there are both far/near elements in the frame.

The flat field really helps with astrophotography though...especially if everything in the frame is at or near infinity. With my copy, if you nail the focus in the center at F2, the stars will be in focus across the frame and you won't need to refocus at other apertures.

Dec 10, 2017 at 06:10 PM

offtraildog
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p.11 #3 · p.11 #3 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Interested in my first UWA and have been swaying between this and the CV 15. Read through the entire thread and found some references to my questions but still unclear .. with no EXIF, does Peak focusing work? What about exposure metering in-camera?

Thanks

Edited on Dec 12, 2017 at 10:58 AM · View previous versions

Dec 12, 2017 at 10:18 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.11 #4 · p.11 #4 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Fred Miranda wrote:
Sunstars are actually pretty nice from its 'straight' blades (14-point sunstar against Loxia's 10-point)
To me, an annoying negative is the lack of EXIF transmission especially since this lens was designed for the Sony E-mount.

I agree about the lack of electrical contacts, what where they thinking at this price point.

Really agonising over this lens. If the coma wide open was as good as @ f/2.8 I’d have no hesitation. I have heard that Rokinon were supposedly going to release the 14 f/2.4 in FE mount, but it’s almost a year since they said that. That would be my first choice for landscape, architecture and astrophotography, but the 15mm is so good in every other way than coma. But I also am looking longingly at the Loxia 21mm. Don’t want to buy 2 lenses at this stage, since my 12-24 will get used the most for landscape photography.

I could get the Rokinon for my Canon, and then decide between the Laowa or the Zeiss for the Sony, I can always use the Rokinon with a metabones. The Rokinon other than being slower is considered even better than the Sigma 14 f/1.8 for coma, but you couldn’t go wrong with either. Sigma though is a monster which is why I’d trade some speed for size and weight of the Rokinon.

Argh too many nice primes for the Sony.

Dec 18, 2017 at 11:51 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.11 #5 · p.11 #5 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Pixel Perfect wrote:
I agree about the lack of electrical contacts, what where they thinking at this price point.

Really agonising over this lens. If the coma wide open was as good as @ f/2.8 I’d have no hesitation. I have heard that Rokinon were supposedly going to release the 14 f/2.4 in FE mount, but it’s almost a year since they said that. That would be my first choice for landscape, architecture and astrophotography, but the 15mm is so good in every other way than coma. But I also am looking longingly at the Loxia 21mm. Don’t want to buy 2 lenses...Show more →

I consider the Laowa 15/2 a f/2.8 lens for astro. However, it can be used wide open with some fixing in post (basically removal of coma which mainly appears on big stars..)

The Loxia 21/2.8 is a marvel and imo, the best wide-angle for the E-mount. It's also great for astro from wide-open. (with a hard stop infinity for stars)

Currently I carry the 12-24/4 for landscapes and Laowa 15/2 + Loxia 21/2.8 for nightscapes. (Ok...I use the Loxia for both.

)

It's likely that Sigma and Tokina will release new ultra wides for the E-mount next year, so it looks like the Sony E-mount is about to get saturated with lenses. Many are hoping for a Batis 35 and a Loxia 28 as well.

Dec 19, 2017 at 12:11 AM

MedicineMan404
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p.11 #6 · p.11 #6 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

^How do you remove coma from the big stars?
the Laowa 15/2 is my next lens (though I don't need it until April).
In fact I just received from Germany the Astronomik CLS Clip filter for experimentation and
also in anticipation of the cores return.

Dec 19, 2017 at 12:33 AM

justruss
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p.11 #7 · p.11 #7 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Fred Miranda wrote:
I consider the Laowa 15/2 a f/2.8 lens for astro. However, it can be used wide open with some fixing in post (basically removal of coma which mainly appears on big stars..)

The Loxia 21/2.8 is a marvel and imo, the best wide-angle for the E-mount. It's also great for astro from wide-open. (with a hard stop infinity for stars)

Currently I carry the 12-24/4 for landscapes and Laowa 15/2 + Loxia 21/2.8 for nightscapes. (Ok...I use the Loxia for both.

)

It's likely that Sigma and Tokina will release new ultra wides for the E-mount next year, so it looks like...Show more →

The Batis 18 is also an excellent astro lens if the FL works. Focus by wire might bother some people, but I've found it easy enough for point sources at night (stars).

Dec 19, 2017 at 02:20 AM

MedicineMan404
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p.11 #8 · p.11 #8 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Justruss I have the B18...don't like the fly-by-wire...want something closer to a hard stop at infinity but realize that doesn't exist. I'll keep the Batis, just so lightweight for when the walk is long for landscaping. One really big reason I'm to add the Laowa 15 is the size.

Dec 19, 2017 at 02:28 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.11 #9 · p.11 #9 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

)

It's likely that Sigma and Tokina will release new ultra wides for the E-mount next year, so it looks like...Show more →

Ah yes, the Tokina Firin 20 is a nice lens and I believe next year they will release AF Firin lenses. Maybe they will release a 14/15mm themselves. I wonder if Sigma could release a 14 f/1.8 for FE that is much smaller and lighter than the DSLR version. UWA lenses are one area mirrorless can have a real advantage.

I might get the Loxia for now and just sit tight on the UWA prime until next year.

Dec 19, 2017 at 04:50 AM

nandadevieast
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p.11 #10 · p.11 #10 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Xxxx

Edited on Sep 28, 2021 at 12:43 PM · View previous versions

Apr 07, 2018 at 07:56 AM

offtraildog
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p.11 #11 · p.11 #11 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

I am planning on adding the 24-105 once it starts shipping again. I plan to carry the CV15 when I have the 24-105.

I plan on keeping all my primes right now .. CV 15, Lox 21, CV 40, CV 65 which I hope to use the majority of the time.

Apr 07, 2018 at 05:07 PM

darthalal
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p.11 #12 · p.11 #12 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

I'm in the process of switching to Sony, and heavily eyeing this lens to cover my UWA needs (though may end up with ZA 16-35mm f4 - still debating if I'll be okay with a gap from 15mm to 35mm). Do any of you happen to know If 85mm square filters (like Firecrest in the Formatt Hitech holder) will vignette on this lens (or the 16-35mm if your happen to know)? Looking to finally buy into a decent filter system, tired of he resin filters that get scratched the first time you use then and have awful cikir casts, and also juggling fiktersnin several thread sizes. Hoping I won't have to step up in $$ and bulk for the 100mm systems, but would love some to hear if someone already has experience with this lens and 85mm filters.

Apr 16, 2018 at 12:23 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.11 #13 · p.11 #13 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

offtraildog wrote:
Interested in my first UWA and have been swaying between this and the CV 15. Read through the entire thread and found some references to my questions but still unclear .. with no EXIF, does Peak focusing work? What about exposure metering in-camera?

Thanks

Everything works. You just won't get exposure values transmitted to your files. It's not a big deal but a negative aspect of this lens.

Nov 04, 2018 at 02:47 PM

jon.pictures
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p.11 #14 · p.11 #14 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

I see Laowa have changed from 7 aperture blades down to 5 for this lens now.

Anyone seen what the sunstar performance is like with that change? I understand the versions for Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L were all 5 blades from the start. I've not really seen any reviews cover this though or seen any example images showing sunstars.

There are a couple at F5.6 of the RF version in this review http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/laowa-rf-15mm-f2-zero-d/

Jan 08, 2021 at 09:18 AM

steveb
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p.11 #15 · p.11 #15 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Anyone use the Laowa 15mm F2 with the RF-mount (Canon mirrorless)?

I tried one with a Canon R5, eventually returned it.

It was optically competent for astro and low light, but the lens-to-camera fit was loose and wobbly.

Other experience?

Thanks,
Steve

Feb 12, 2021 at 05:27 AM

Thiuda
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p.11 #16 · p.11 #16 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Hello,

I hope some of you can help me with my Laowa 15mm f/2, I bought a used glass in mint condition.
There are no scratches or marks on glass and metal, first tests at f2 showed it is quite well centered.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1xf6d0m5s76nl6t/Edges.jpg?dl=0

But there is something that I have never seen before...
There are light spots/marks inside the lens at what seems to be the edge of an internal lens.

Is this what is referred to as Scheideritis?
Have you seen this on other Laowa lenses?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i5quqdpckblhs5f/image0.jpeg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hf55x2xjbokg734/image1.jpeg?dl=0

Should I just ignore my OCD perfectionism, or is it something to worry about?

Regards
Thiuda

Aug 02, 2021 at 03:39 PM

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