Hands On With Venus Optics’ Bright and Versatile 8-15mm Fisheye Lens

If you need to discover ultra-wide views, the brand new Venus Optics Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens is surely an intriguing choice. This lens provides a flexible focal vary and vivid aperture, because of this you’ll experiment with ingenious compositions, particularly if ultra-wide angles attraction for your inventive taste.

Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this informative video provides a transparent breakdown of the brand new Venus Optics Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens‘ features and what you’ll realistically be expecting. Frost begins by means of noting the original versatility of the lens, being the primary fisheye zoom to provide such an impressively vivid f/2.8 aperture. This offers it specific attraction for astrophotography and artistic close-ups, due to its shut minimal concentration distance of most effective about six inches. Although completely guide, you can in finding focusing slightly easy because of the lens’ huge perspective nature. Frost issues out that it is solidly constructed from steel, feels top rate within the hand, however lacks weather-sealing, which it would be best to have in mind prior to heading into tough prerequisites outdoor.

Frost strikes directly to symbol high quality, checking out the lens totally on a high-resolution 42-megapixel Sony a7R III. At the widest 8mm focal duration and f/2.8 environment, photographs seem extremely sharp proper from the middle into the corners, appearing very good distinction. By fairly preventing all the way down to f/4, Frost captures even higher effects, specifically in nook sharpness. However, efficiency on the 15mm finish huge open is extra combined—heart sharpness stays excellent, even though corners seem darker and quite softer till you shut the aperture fairly. Frost additionally notes noticeable flaring problems when together with vivid lighting on your composition, one thing you can wish to imagine sparsely relying for your standard scenes.

Key Specs

• Focal Length: 8 to 15mm
• Aperture Range: Maximum f/2.8, Minimum f/22
• Lens Mounts: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Canon RF, Nikon Z
• Lens Coverage: Full body sensors
• Angle of View: 180° (8mm) to 175° (15mm)
• Minimum Focus Distance: 6.3 inches (0.16 m)
• Magnification: 0.23x 
• Macro copy ratio 1:4.3
• Optical Design: 13 components in 9 teams
• Aperture Blades: 9
• Focus Design: Manual concentration most effective
• Image Stabilization: None
• Dimensions: 3 inches diameter, 3.7 inches duration
• Weight: 1.4 lb (650 g)

Frost additionally addresses how this lens handles particular prerequisites equivalent to shut concentration, the place the effects are once more spectacular as soon as stopped down fairly. He examines coma and sun-stars efficiency, illustrating how middle of the night shooters would possibly in finding the lens sensible in spite of minor coma at wider apertures. Similarly, you may additionally understand how attractively the lens handles out-of-focus backgrounds, developing a delightful separation between the topic and setting.

Frost raises minor sensible quirks, like a difficult slip-on lens cap which has a tendency to fall off too simply. Venus Optics has indicated they could redesign it prior to in style unlock. Check out the video above for the entire rundown from Frost.