Venus Optics Officially Announces the Laowa RF (RF-S) 4.5-10mm f/2.8 CF Zoom Fisheye

[Canon Rumors]

Venus Optics has officiall announced the Laowa 4.5-10mm f/2.8 CF Zoom Fisheye. It’s a compact “muffin-lens”, a moniker we have never heard before and it’s for APS-C and MFT cameras. Going from a full 180° circular fisheye at 4.5mm to a frame-filling diagonal at 10mm, which gives you a lot of range for your creative […]

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[Primo1911]

I just wish they make their AF lenses available for Canon WITH AF!

Tho this will very handy on the GoPro Mission 1 ILS. It's essentially a 12-27mm.

 

[Robi Naitsirhc]

The Canon RF 7-14mm is a superior, more versatile, and optically a much more refined option. It seems to me that the Laowa punches well above its price as an accessible, fun APS-C alternative with video-friendly traits. But from where I stand, the Canon justifies its cost for serious users, otherwise, if you're on RF-S/APS-C and don't need AF, the Laowa offers some value.

 

[AlanF]

The depth of field with these very short focal length lenses is so deep you just guess with no problems, or just set at a convenient distance, especially as you tend to use them for scenes. For example, at 4.5mm and f/2.8, set at 0.4m, everything from 0.2m to infinity is in focus. And at 10mm and f/2.8, set at 2m, everything from 1m to infinity is in focus. If you leave set at infinity, at 4.5mm, it's sharp down to 0.4m, and at 10mm, down to 1.8m. You should get automatic exposure in aperture priority but not shutter priority. All in all, it is a good value fun lens.

 

[David - Sydney]

I like using my Astrhori 6/2.8. >180 degree coverage. Used it for architecture but need to watch for fingers. Tripods without a horizontal extension will include legs unless shooting upwards.
Dynamic range is challenging if the sun or bright lights are anywhere in frame.
I'll be testing it for night/milky way soon but should be better than my EF8-15/4.
Not sure how this will look for crop sensors though.

 

[TexPhoto]

Looks like a nice option for crop camera shooters who until now did not have this kind of zoom available.

It's a little odd to point out a "savings" over the 7-14mm Canon RF lens, but I sort of get that.

I'll add that we RF 7-14mm shooters, (or EF 8-15mm) never called our lenses "dual fisheye lens shooters". It's a zoom lens, with lots of great options.