I bought the 7.5 because it was/still is the widest rectilinear lens for MFT and I will keep it for tight interior shots. Then I noticed the 10mm had just been released and I got it (for a good price) because I like the idea of the lens talking to the camera and 10mm is still wide but a bit more flattering if people are in shot
I got the 7.5mm in the end for NZ$500 second hand and then got the 10mm brand new for NZ$430 six months later. The 7.5mm will be good for architecture and vistas and experimental shots that permit a little bit of distortion, while the 10mm allows for more tighter wide shots, semi-street shots or establishing shots. The 9mm was the odd one out for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I’m on the hunt for something wider than my current 14mm widest focal length. The 10mm has a lot of appeal, and I’m glad to hear it’s initial quality and performance holds up to the other Laowa lenses.
Absolutely mate. The 10mm is a great lens. I have the 7.5mm myself and just love how wide it is. But the new electronic 10mm is great as you can dial the aperture from the body.
Thank you for the video on these cool lenses. But Jimmy, you need to add graphics to your video to confirm what you're saying. I had to replay it 3-5 (or more) times to understand that you were "skipping / dismissing / or some other term for not picking the 9mm". I still don't know what word you were saying. And to me, it originally sounded as if this was your choice - which made the next couple of minutes not make any sense. I'm always a fan. But help me understand.
I experienced the same thing: I thought you were saying if only I could have one lens...but then it became something else. Still, thanks for the review. Since I seldom shoot ultra wide or astro I went for the 7.5 7artisans much less expensive and the low usage justifies the cost so to speak. If I didn't have the PL 15 1.7 and the 7artisans I might go for the Laowa 10 😁
I already had 14-42 and 12-200 so I chose 7.5. I’m starting to know it and the complete manual mode is new for me, but for the moment I’m happy with it. If I hadn't had other ultra wide l’ennesimo, I would have taken Laowa 10 (for its electronic only).
Thanks for that nice Video! I have the 10mm and enjoy the comfort, in analog times I loved my Nikon 20mm 2.8 very much and used it very often, the Laowa is incredible small and light and works perfect with my tiny Lumix Gx800 and 880, but the best is the unbelievable sharpness of this lens, I am close to say its the sharpest I ever had for M4/3!
I have the 7.5 (based on your recommendation) and greatly appreciate the light weight for flying and long walks. It has been a while since I have used my 7-14 Zuiko. A feature that I have repeatedly taken advantage of is the fact that the much smaller front element of the 7.5 does not catch rain as much as the 7-14. Three issues I have to resolve are: 1. It seems to have problems when stitching panoramas from RAW and sometimes fails; 2. Lots of vignetting when stitching, even at f4 or 5.6; 3. Photoshop cannot assign a lens profile to it. This may be causing the problems for 1 & 2 above. Any idea how I can assign/install a lens profile into the metadata and for Photoshop to deal with it? Does the part electronic 10 mm get recognised as having lens profile?
Hey Otto, thanks for reaching out. To briefly answer your questions. You can't install a profile so to speak because they are generated by the manufacturer, this applies to any lenses. But you can create a custom 'preset' that corrects anything you don't like with a click of a button in Lightroom or any program for instance, and apply to the images in batches if you like. The electronic 10mm does transfer metadata, but purely for IBIS controls and of course the data to tell you what settings you applied to the images when you load it in LR. I don't find vignette that bad in my case, but perhaps, I generally love a little by default.
Hi Otto. So after about 10 months of using that 7.5 mm, do you have any further comments about it? I'm owning an EM, got kit lens + 45mm 1.8, I just need another wide angle lens but been contemplating between m.zuiko 7-14 or this Laowa brand
Which 9mm f/2.8 for Canon RF would you recommend, the Laowa or Nisi? This will be going on a Canon R50. Also, is there another lens that is better for shooting real estate photos and videos?
I prefer the 9mm because it's the widest zero D available for m43. I've read that the 9mm is wider and more corrected (less distortion) than the 10mm. Those are the things that matter most to me for architecture. The 9mm is more than fast enough for my daytime architectural needs and I'm fine with manual aperture. In fact, I prefer manual aperture for architecture. I also own the 7.5mm, but rarely use it because I prefer the 9mm. I have no interest in 10mm because it's less wide and reputedly less corrected than the 9mm. I love the 9mm.
Very interesting video. Thank you very much ! I have a question regarding sunstars. From your video, 10mm looks to be the best from this point of view - it renders the sunstars better than the other 2 lenses. Do you confirm this ? Did you had the chance to test this part more ?
I have that 18 mm lens still, and it will likely be the last item I would give up from my OM film kit. It is a jewel. But I got that in 1979 as a superwide for its day, and now I want a superwide for 2021. I have a 7-14 zoom, and it is fine but bulky. Based on Red's recommendations (and others) I have the 7.5 f2.0. It is much much smaller, can carry in my pocket. A very big advantage is that I will be able to put filters on it. Another is that it is less likely to catch raindrops on the front element. Anyway, what I want is a 6 mm or even a 5, whatever the aperture. Superwides are the biggest reason I would consider going back to full frame that has 10 mm lenses.
Great video. Im planning to buy a 9mm and this video was before the 9mm leica was released. Just wondering which one should i get. Mainly using it for travel video (bmpcc4k) when i travel and street/everyday photo with my gx80. Hopefully u can help me. Cant find any comparison between these two 9mm. Thanks!
Hi Jimmy. Recently subscribed to your site. Appreciated especially your hopeful perspective on Micro 43. Very disappointed in the Laowa 7.5. Edge and corner sharpness falls off seriously from sharp center area. Returned after 1 day. Too bad, I was looking forward to it. Great build. Likely a bad one but I am going to rethink it. Did notice another review on B&H with similar concern.
I haven’t found many brutally honest reviews on these lenses. The 7.5 wide open is only sharp for the center 1/3rd, it’s at its best by f5.6. The 10mm has some serious flair problems shot wide open too, which doesn’t come up in any of the reviews. I review products in the cycling industry where I see much of the same. I look at other reviews and wonder if we’re testing the same thing. Oddly, I seem to be the only reviewer who returns things that are worn out...
Hi Jimmy, great video mate. I really like the look of these lenses, as for which one is for me, the simple answer is "the cheapest" and almost inevitably "pre-loved". :) . The more complex answer is that probably the 7.5mm would fit in best with my requirements, landscape interests and existing range of lenses but they're all focal lengths that I could make use of. I really like the idea of a rectilinear wide angle as I'm not a huge fane of fisheye lenses. Cheers, Leigh
can I use this Laowa 9mm lens in my EF camera? I have investigated and there are no converters and they have told me that there is no way, but how is it possible!? 😳
For full manual lens, you still get WYSIWYG, though beware the when closing aperture, you are physically doing so, your EVF may compensate for viewing and resulting in very noisy 'look', but it doesn't affect the picture of course. Unlike electronic lenses, like the 10mm here, the aperture only closes before the picture is taken.
Thank you for this video. I had the 7.5 and then when I got the 9 I preferred it. I traded them both to get a zoom which I ultimately regretted doing. I was wondering about the 10mm or 9mm as the 10mm is 30% cheaper and wondered if it was the same quality. After watching this, I know which one I will get first.
@@ricardoxv I prefer the 10 as the camera can control the aperture so I use it like my m43 lens. It is also lighter which I prefer. And, I prefer the 1 stop faster of the 10. I have the 10 now and will add the 7.5 someday. Optics are both a tiny bit better on the 9 and 10. If I want to set aperture manually on the lens, the ring is much nicer on the 9mm. I for $100 less you are getting a better product with the 10.
@@DeMorcan I've been trying to choose between 7.5mm and 9mm for over 2 weeks now, I've seen a lot of videos and read all the comments, but opinions are very divided. I'm looking for an ultra wide lens for real estate, I have a 4K BMPCC with Metabones 0.71x, I'd even prefer an ultra wide EF because all my lenses are EF-S, but I don't think there is any with the quality of the Laowa MFT, except the Laowa 12mm f2.8 EF full frame version which costs double the price of these MFT, more than €1000!!! Comparing the f2 and f2.8 aperture is not significant, even because the p4k works well in low light, the price is also the same.. 570€, the only question is regarding the angle of view, some people complained that in certain rooms and bathrooms they missed the 7.5mm and the 9mm was not ultra wide enough. But then in terms of image the 9mm is superior as it is zero distortion, it doesn't have as much chromatic aberration and the corners are not as soft as the 7.5mm.. What's making me even more confused is that I can get in second hand Laowa 9mm T2.9 Cine MFT for less than €400 in excellent condition, new cost 700€! While the new 7.5mm and 9mm non-Cine versions are priced at €570.. I'm afraid that 9mm x 1.89 = 17.01mm might not be ideal for real estate, but the image is quite nice, it's not as weird as the image produced by 7.5mm, but 7.5 x 1.89 = 14.17mm! It's still a difference of almost 3mm! I'm really in doubt!!!
Great video! I have a question about the focus ring on the 7.5: On my lens it has a bit of resistance and since I bought it second hand I'm starting to wonder if it's damaged perhaps? It's smooth but it takes a bit of effort to rotate, but on your video it looks much easier to operate. [EDIT: on another one of your videos you say that it should have resistance "but you wouldn't say stiff"]
![LAOWA 7.5mm F2 long term review [2021 - samples - tips]](/img/n.gif)
For me, combination 7.5 + 12-45 + 40-150 f/2.8 is Holy Trinity for my landscape and travel photography.
you got a very small set up! nice :)
The 9mm also has almost no vignetting and is sharp corner to corner on an M43 camera. The 9mm is perfect size to use on my Olympus EM10ii.
I bought the 7.5 because it was/still is the widest rectilinear lens for MFT and I will keep it for tight interior shots.
Then I noticed the 10mm had just been released and I got it (for a good price) because I like the idea of the lens talking to the camera and 10mm is still wide but a bit more flattering if people are in shot
I got the 7.5mm in the end for NZ$500 second hand and then got the 10mm brand new for NZ$430 six months later. The 7.5mm will be good for architecture and vistas and experimental shots that permit a little bit of distortion, while the 10mm allows for more tighter wide shots, semi-street shots or establishing shots. The 9mm was the odd one out for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I’m on the hunt for something wider than my current 14mm widest focal length. The 10mm has a lot of appeal, and I’m glad to hear it’s initial quality and performance holds up to the other Laowa lenses.
Absolutely mate. The 10mm is a great lens. I have the 7.5mm myself and just love how wide it is. But the new electronic 10mm is great as you can dial the aperture from the body.
Thank you for the video on these cool lenses. But Jimmy, you need to add graphics to your video to confirm what you're saying. I had to replay it 3-5 (or more) times to understand that you were "skipping / dismissing / or some other term for not picking the 9mm". I still don't know what word you were saying. And to me, it originally sounded as if this was your choice - which made the next couple of minutes not make any sense. I'm always a fan. But help me understand.
I experienced the same thing: I thought you were saying if only I could have one lens...but then it became something else. Still, thanks for the review. Since I seldom shoot ultra wide or astro I went for the 7.5 7artisans much less expensive and the low usage justifies the cost so to speak. If I didn't have the PL 15 1.7 and the 7artisans I might go for the Laowa 10 😁
I already had 14-42 and 12-200 so I chose 7.5. I’m starting to know it and the complete manual mode is new for me, but for the moment I’m happy with it. If I hadn't had other ultra wide l’ennesimo, I would have taken Laowa 10 (for its electronic only).
Voigtlander 10mm f/0.95 and Panasonic 8mm f/3.5.
Thanks for that nice Video! I have the 10mm and enjoy the comfort, in analog times I loved my Nikon 20mm 2.8 very much and used it very often, the Laowa is incredible small and light and works perfect with my tiny Lumix Gx800 and 880, but the best is the unbelievable sharpness of this lens, I am close to say its the sharpest I ever had for M4/3!
I have the 7.5 (based on your recommendation) and greatly appreciate the light weight for flying and long walks. It has been a while since I have used my 7-14 Zuiko.
A feature that I have repeatedly taken advantage of is the fact that the much smaller front element of the 7.5 does not catch rain as much as the 7-14.
Three issues I have to resolve are:
1. It seems to have problems when stitching panoramas from RAW and sometimes fails;
2. Lots of vignetting when stitching, even at f4 or 5.6;
3. Photoshop cannot assign a lens profile to it. This may be causing the problems for 1 & 2 above.
Any idea how I can assign/install a lens profile into the metadata and for Photoshop to deal with it?
Does the part electronic 10 mm get recognised as having lens profile?
Hey Otto, thanks for reaching out. To briefly answer your questions. You can't install a profile so to speak because they are generated by the manufacturer, this applies to any lenses. But you can create a custom 'preset' that corrects anything you don't like with a click of a button in Lightroom or any program for instance, and apply to the images in batches if you like. The electronic 10mm does transfer metadata, but purely for IBIS controls and of course the data to tell you what settings you applied to the images when you load it in LR. I don't find vignette that bad in my case, but perhaps, I generally love a little by default.
Hi Otto. So after about 10 months of using that 7.5 mm, do you have any further comments about it? I'm owning an EM, got kit lens + 45mm 1.8, I just need another wide angle lens but been contemplating between m.zuiko 7-14 or this Laowa brand
Which 9mm f/2.8 for Canon RF would you recommend, the Laowa or Nisi? This will be going on a Canon R50.
Also, is there another lens that is better for shooting real estate photos and videos?
Great comparison, just wish I could see video samples of all three!
Cheers Sean, next comparison I will try to incorporate more video samples.
@@Red35Photography thank you!
the 10mm would be awesome at some point, as it would complement my 17, 25, 42.5 and 60mm primes really nicely
Yes, then you have pretty much everything covered.
I prefer the 9mm because it's the widest zero D available for m43. I've read that the 9mm is wider and more corrected (less distortion) than the 10mm. Those are the things that matter most to me for architecture. The 9mm is more than fast enough for my daytime architectural needs and I'm fine with manual aperture. In fact, I prefer manual aperture for architecture.
I also own the 7.5mm, but rarely use it because I prefer the 9mm. I have no interest in 10mm because it's less wide and reputedly less corrected than the 9mm. I love the 9mm.
So 9mm better but why? I own 7.5 years ago, now I need it again, should I go on the 9mm for architecture ?
thanks
Would like to see s video with thr kamlan 28mm 1.4 for m43 that lens is so uncovered!
Very interesting video. Thank you very much ! I have a question regarding sunstars. From your video, 10mm looks to be the best from this point of view - it renders the sunstars better than the other 2 lenses. Do you confirm this ? Did you had the chance to test this part more ?
brilliant review.....straight to the important points....well done...good knowledge ....good style...
No mention about the electronic connection in the 10mm allowing for automatic profile corrections in either in-camera JPEG or in LightRoom from RAW...
I want an Olympus 9 mm prime lens like the famous OM-Zuiko f3,5 18mm in the film days. f1,4!
I have that 18 mm lens still, and it will likely be the last item I would give up from my OM film kit. It is a jewel.
But I got that in 1979 as a superwide for its day, and now I want a superwide for 2021.
I have a 7-14 zoom, and it is fine but bulky.
Based on Red's recommendations (and others) I have the 7.5 f2.0.
It is much much smaller, can carry in my pocket.
A very big advantage is that I will be able to put filters on it.
Another is that it is less likely to catch raindrops on the front element.
Anyway, what I want is a 6 mm or even a 5, whatever the aperture.
Superwides are the biggest reason I would consider going back to full frame that has 10 mm lenses.
Thanks Jimmy, got your name right this time. I’ll probably go for the 7.5mm.
Cheers Neil :)
Thank you for the clarification been stuck between 7.5 and 9mm and I think I need them both 😂
Great video. Im planning to buy a 9mm and this video was before the 9mm leica was released. Just wondering which one should i get. Mainly using it for travel video (bmpcc4k) when i travel and street/everyday photo with my gx80. Hopefully u can help me. Cant find any comparison between these two 9mm. Thanks!
Hi Jimmy.
Recently subscribed to your site. Appreciated especially your hopeful perspective on Micro 43.
Very disappointed in the Laowa 7.5. Edge and corner sharpness falls off seriously from sharp center area. Returned after 1 day. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.
Great build. Likely a bad one but I am going to rethink it. Did notice another review on B&H with similar concern.
I haven’t found many brutally honest reviews on these lenses. The 7.5 wide open is only sharp for the center 1/3rd, it’s at its best by f5.6. The 10mm has some serious flair problems shot wide open too, which doesn’t come up in any of the reviews. I review products in the cycling industry where I see much of the same. I look at other reviews and wonder if we’re testing the same thing. Oddly, I seem to be the only reviewer who returns things that are worn out...
Hi Jimmy, great video mate. I really like the look of these lenses, as for which one is for me, the simple answer is "the cheapest" and almost inevitably "pre-loved". :) . The more complex answer is that probably the 7.5mm would fit in best with my requirements, landscape interests and existing range of lenses but they're all focal lengths that I could make use of. I really like the idea of a rectilinear wide angle as I'm not a huge fane of fisheye lenses. Cheers, Leigh
I too like the 7.5mm. The 10mm is great and all, but the 7.5mm is great for my vlogs and video work, especially on gimbal. Just so wide!
Great stuff! Thank you for a great video!
Cheers mate!
The 7.5 and 10 are really interesting lenses. I'm thinking about getting one or both.
Yeah, I own the 7.5 and love it to bits. I would have got the 10mm too but I have too many lenses :D
Is there any improvement in barrel distortion with the 6mm vs. 7mm?
Thank you
I got the 7.5 cine versión, but i don't got time to use it yet.
can I use this Laowa 9mm lens in my EF camera? I have investigated and there are no converters and they have told me that there is no way, but how is it possible!? 😳
Hi Jimmy. Great video. When using a manual lens, do you still have WYSIWYG on the camera or instead have a dark screen when closing the aperture?
For full manual lens, you still get WYSIWYG, though beware the when closing aperture, you are physically doing so, your EVF may compensate for viewing and resulting in very noisy 'look', but it doesn't affect the picture of course. Unlike electronic lenses, like the 10mm here, the aperture only closes before the picture is taken.
I own the 7.5 mm and love it
me too :)
been using 7.5mm for almost 2 years, it is still my everyday lens in my pocket
7.5 f2 or 7.5 T2.1?
@@lollipop5967 Laowa 7.5 f2.0
Thank you for this video. I had the 7.5 and then when I got the 9 I preferred it. I traded them both to get a zoom which I ultimately regretted doing. I was wondering about the 10mm or 9mm as the 10mm is 30% cheaper and wondered if it was the same quality. After watching this, I know which one I will get first.
Cheers mate, glad you find it useful. I prefer the 10mm much more :)
@@Red35Photography Yes, I ordered the 10mm and one day may add the 7.5.
which one do you prefer? 7.5, 9 or 10mm?
@@ricardoxv I prefer the 10 as the camera can control the aperture so I use it like my m43 lens. It is also lighter which I prefer. And, I prefer the 1 stop faster of the 10. I have the 10 now and will add the 7.5 someday. Optics are both a tiny bit better on the 9 and 10. If I want to set aperture manually on the lens, the ring is much nicer on the 9mm. I for $100 less you are getting a better product with the 10.
@@DeMorcan I've been trying to choose between 7.5mm and 9mm for over 2 weeks now, I've seen a lot of videos and read all the comments, but opinions are very divided.
I'm looking for an ultra wide lens for real estate, I have a 4K BMPCC with Metabones 0.71x, I'd even prefer an ultra wide EF because all my lenses are EF-S, but I don't think there is any with the quality of the Laowa MFT, except the Laowa 12mm f2.8 EF full frame version which costs double the price of these MFT, more than €1000!!!
Comparing the f2 and f2.8 aperture is not significant, even because the p4k works well in low light, the price is also the same.. 570€, the only question is regarding the angle of view, some people complained that in certain rooms and bathrooms they missed the 7.5mm and the 9mm was not ultra wide enough. But then in terms of image the 9mm is superior as it is zero distortion, it doesn't have as much chromatic aberration and the corners are not as soft as the 7.5mm..
What's making me even more confused is that I can get in second hand Laowa 9mm T2.9 Cine MFT for less than €400 in excellent condition, new cost 700€!
While the new 7.5mm and 9mm non-Cine versions are priced at €570..
I'm afraid that 9mm x 1.89 = 17.01mm might not be ideal for real estate, but the image is quite nice, it's not as weird as the image produced by 7.5mm, but 7.5 x 1.89 = 14.17mm! It's still a difference of almost 3mm!
I'm really in doubt!!!
What happens if you put these on Full Frame Cameras?
Great video!
I have a question about the focus ring on the 7.5:
On my lens it has a bit of resistance and since I bought it second hand I'm starting to wonder if it's damaged perhaps?
It's smooth but it takes a bit of effort to rotate, but on your video it looks much easier to operate.
[EDIT: on another one of your videos you say that it should have resistance "but you wouldn't say stiff"]
Can you auto focus with the 10mm?
my vote is for the 18mm
For me the 10mm, the cheapest, fast and full electronics
It is quite value for money :)
Only 9mm in z mount i have no option.
Get ehat you can afford...
Hi, still love your reviews. I have the 7.5mm and i like it for some situations. You can see some of my pics on instagram @christianjamme
Cheers mate, glad you like my reviews. Will check out your IG.