Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1 2

4 … 10 11 end

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

GMPhotography
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

I ordered the the Nisi 150mm and a Haida 150mm CPL so I took the filter advantage out of the equation. So I really need a compelling reason. I'm feeling cheap . Lol

Jul 20, 2017 at 12:41 PM

akclimber
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

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

I'll post what I find. It's been a crazy rainy summer here and the nights are finally getting dark. Looks like we might get some clearing tomorrow and I'm hoping to get out a check it out.

Schlotkins wrote:
Really interested in your test on the rokinon! Thanks,
Chris

Jul 20, 2017 at 12:45 PM

mreynolds767
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

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

Fred: any idea if their Magic Shift Converter will work for this lens?

Jul 20, 2017 at 02:37 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

mreynolds767 wrote:
Fred: any idea if their Magic Shift Converter will work for this lens?

No, the magic shift converter only works with SLR lenses on the Sony body. This one is already E-mount.

Jul 20, 2017 at 03:14 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Flare Performance:

Here is a flare resistance test between three 15mm lenses. All tested at f/11.

TOP: CV 15/4.5 III
MIDDLE: Laowa 15/2
BOTTOM: FE 12-24/4 @ 15mm

All three lenses show ghosting flare with minimum veiling flare (haze).
However, the CV 15/4.5 III performs best with minimal ghost spots. The second place goes to the Laowa and the zoom comes in third.

Watch the top of the house and right column for ghosting flare. You can also see the sunstar shape among these lenses.

Jul 20, 2017 at 03:41 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

For the scene above, the FE 12-24/4 G shows more ghosting towards the top of the house. The other two lenses do not show any ghosting on that area. Here is a 1:1 crop showing the Sony zoom flare on that area:

Jul 20, 2017 at 03:58 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Sunstar comparison at f/11 where both Laowa 15 and Sony zoom start to show some good definition. The CV 15 wins big here and has great sunstar rendering starting at f/5.6.

To my eyes, the Laowa has better definition when compared to the zoom. Both have 14-point stars while the CV 15 has 10-point.

TOP: FE 12-24/4 @ 15mm
MIDDLE: Laowa 15/2
BOTTOM: CV 15/4.5 III

All lenses at f/11

Jul 20, 2017 at 04:04 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

akclimber wrote:
Thanks for the coma test, Fred. Sad it wasn't more of a pleasant surprise wide open. Think I'll stick with the lenses I have now for astro (Batis 18 for Sony and Sigma 20 f/1.4 for Nikon - also just recently got a screaming deal on a Rokinon 20 1/1.8 in E mount I still need to test).

Cheers!

The Batis seems to have low coma wide open. Too bad it's focus by wire though. I prefer lenses with mechanical focus for astro as you can just set the distance and shoot away! If infinity is at hard stop, even better.

Jul 22, 2017 at 11:08 PM

akclimber
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Fred Miranda wrote:
The Batis seems to have low coma wide open. Too bad it's focus by wire though. I prefer lenses with mechanical focus for astro as you can just set the distance and shoot away! If infinity is at hard stop, even better.

I agree Fred, I much prefer mechanical focus as well and have thought about ditching the Batis for that very reason.

Jul 23, 2017 at 07:37 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Hi-Matic wrote:
Just wondering, does this lens have a price yet?

They told me around $850. (subjective to change)

Also, wasn't the coma control on the Firin a bit weak at f2?

The Firin 20/2 seems to have low coma wide open according to this review:
http://www.stanmoniz.com/blog/2017/2/6/astrophotography-with-the-tokina-firin-20mm

Jul 23, 2017 at 05:52 PM

Jacknut16
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

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

Hey guys did I miss the expected release date for this lens? I cannot seem to find this information anywhere...

Jul 23, 2017 at 08:56 PM

Hi-Matic
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Fred Miranda wrote:
They told me around $850. (subjective to change)

The Firin 20/2 seems to have low coma wide open according to this review:
http://www.stanmoniz.com/blog/2017/2/6/astrophotography-with-the-tokina-firin-20mm

Thanks, Fred. I think Guy's testing showed some serious coma wide open. 2.8 was better, though.

Jul 23, 2017 at 09:50 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Hi-Matic wrote:
Thanks, Fred. I think Guy's testing showed some serious coma wide open. 2.8 was better, though.

Can you point to his coma test?

Jul 23, 2017 at 10:21 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Found it. I was the one who posted the crops from Guy's RAW files.

f/2.8
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1480006/6#13963912

f/2
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1480006/7#13964225

From his copy, coma at f/2 does not look much different than the Laowa 15/2's but I think the Laowa improves more at f/2.8.
It looks like the review I posted the link above had me fooled.

I remember thinking that the Loxia 21/2.8 did better now...and it has a perfect hard stop for astro. Perhaps the Laowa 15/2 @f/2.8 and the Loxia 21/2.8 @f/2.8 are a good astro combo.

Jul 23, 2017 at 10:50 PM

Schlotkins
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

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

I wonder if Guy's was a bit decentered? There was only coma on one side no? I guess I'll have to get one and try it.

There is really not much point in some of these lenses to shoot at 2.8. The loxia 21mm is smaller.

Chris

BTW, for about $600 you can have a a6000 and a Rokinon 12mm f2. My better half shoots with that and it is absolutely no joke wide open.

Jul 23, 2017 at 11:02 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Schlotkins wrote:
I wonder if Guy's was a bit decentered? There was only coma on one side no? I guess I'll have to get one and try it.

There is really not much point in some of these lenses to shoot at 2.8. The loxia 21mm is smaller.

Chris

BTW, for about $600 you can have a a6000 and a Rokinon 12mm f2. My better half shoots with that and it is absolutely no joke wide open.

No sure Chris. Only Guy can confirm that. I remember him saying his copy was centered though.
Try posting your results with the Firin at f/2 and f/2.8 and I will compare with the Loxia.

Jul 23, 2017 at 11:15 PM

Schlotkins
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Fred Miranda wrote:
No sure Chris. Only Guy can confirm that. I remember him saying his copy was centered though.
Try posting your results with the Firin at f/2 and f/2.8 and I will compare with the Loxia.

I'm not heading out to see the stars again until August 12th. I'm going to rent a Batis 18, Tokina 20, loxia 21, and batis 25 from lensrentals and have some fun. I have a good rok 14 2.8 and 24 1.4 to test against. I will probably test against my 24-70 II @ 24 too. I have a nikon 14-24 but I am going to sell that as I am try to go almost adapter free.

Chris

(Yes I know those focal lengths are not nearly the same.... just make a reference for people.)

Jul 24, 2017 at 08:59 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

Jacknut16 wrote:
Hey guys did I miss the expected release date for this lens? I cannot seem to find this information anywhere...

Hi Jack,
From them:
"We are hoping to start the pre-order campaign in around late July/early Aug."

Jul 24, 2017 at 10:04 AM

jwhatts
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

I'm not heading out to see the stars again until August 12th. I'm going to rent a Batis 18, Tokina 20, loxia 21, and batis 25 from lensrentals and have some fun. I have a good rok 14 2.8 and 24 1.4 to test against. I will probably test against my 24-70 II @ 24 too. I have a nikon 14-24 but I am going to sell that as I am try to go almost adapter free.

That's quite the spread of lenses to test, godspeed. Particularly interested in seeing how well the Tokina does. If money wasn't an issue, I'd love to test some of the newer players in the astro realm, specifically:

Tokina 20 f/2
Rok/Samyang 20 f/1.8
Sigma 14 f/1.8
Laowa 15 f/2

Unfortunately astro plays second fiddle to most types of shooting, so I've seen inconclusive or nonexistent information regarding sharpness, vignetting, coma control, and chromatic aberration control for these lenses.

Jul 24, 2017 at 11:00 AM

Schlotkins
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Laowa 15mm f/2 FE: Rolling Review and Comparisons

jwhatts wrote:
That's quite the spread of lenses to test, godspeed. Particularly interested in seeing how well the Tokina does. If money wasn't an issue, I'd love to test some of the newer players in the astro realm, specifically:

Tokina 20 f/2
Rok/Samyang 20 f/1.8
Sigma 14 f/1.8
Laowa 15 f/2

Unfortunately astro plays second fiddle to most types of shooting, so I've seen inconclusive or nonexistent information regarding sharpness, vignetting, coma control, and chromatic aberration control for these lenses.

Yea I'm going to be ambitious

. We'll see how far I get.

Chris

EDIT:

lenstips.com has the sigma reviewed with coma even at 2.5.

http://www.lenstip.com/506.7-Lens_review-Sigma_A_14_mm_f_1.8_DG_HSM_Coma__astigmatism_and_bokeh.html

I guess I could add the Samyang 14mm 2.4 and Sigma 14mm 1.8. It's not too hard to do these really. Setup the tripod, switch lenses, shoot some frame. Hardest part will be to keep track of all of them

. Oh and the rental fee. Maybe Roger will help me out if I write a blog column for him

Here's my check list:

- Vignetting
- Sharpness wide open or close
- Coma
- Relative brightness

For comparisons:

Sigma 14mm 1.8 @1.8, 2, 2.8
Rokinon 14 2.4 @ 2.4 and 2.8
Rokinon 14 2.8 @ 2.8

Batis 18mm @ 2.8
Tokina 20mm @ 2.0, 2.2, 2.8
Loxia 21mm @ 2.8

Batis 25mm @ 2.0, 2.2, 2.8
Rokinon 24mm @ 1.4, 2.0, 2.8

Jul 24, 2017 at 11:40 AM

1 2 3 4 … 10 11 end
FM Forums \| Sony Forum \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 4 … 10 11 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.