Photography News Issue 48

Photography News | Issue 48 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests

Laowa 7.5mmf/2 £499 Chinese lens-maker Laowa seems to have set out to cover more unusual focal lengths while also adding an interesting twist. So we have optics such as this 7.5mm Micro Four Thirds format fit lens (15mm equivalent in the 35mm format) that is the world’s widest rectilinear lens with a f/2 maximum aperture. Being so fast and wide you might expect the lens to be bulky – in MFT terms – but not a bit of it. I used it on an Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II and balance with that camera was good – it was obvious that the body was the heavier partner of that combination. A 20g lighter version called Lite, is available for drone users and is slightly more pricey at £519. The lens ismanual focus only,with the smooth focus barrel covering infinity to its minimum 12cm focus distance in less than half a turn.With such a short focal length, focusing is less of a worry thanks to extensive depth-of-field at all apertures. Focusing hyperfocally according to the lens’s depth-of-field scale, even at f/5.6 you get focus from infinity to just under 50cm. On my sample, however, the depth-of-field scale wasn’t that accurate so worth checking if you buy this lens. That said, at wider apertures and closer to the camera subjects you do still need to focus, and focusing ultra-wides can be tricky in low light. However, I found my camera/ lens combo worked well just using the plain EVF, which is just as well because focus peaking and manual assist aids were not available. Speaking of fingertips, you do have to watch what you are doing with your fingers because with

Specs

Price Standard £499, Lite version £519 Format Micro Four Thirds (15mm in 35mm format) Mounts Micro Four Thirds Construction

13 elements in 9 groups Special lens elements Not known Coatings Not known Filter size 46mm Aperture range F/2-22 Diaphragm Seven blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Manual only Minimum focus 12cm Focus limiter No Maximummagnification 0.11x Distance scale Yes, metres and feet Depth-of-field scale Yes Image stabilizer No Tripod collar No Lens hood Bayonet fit supplied Weather-sealed No Dimensions 50x50mm, excluding hood Weight 170g Contact ukdigital.co.uk

such a wide view and a small lens I did catch an intruding digit or two lurking at the bottom of the image. The supplied bayonet-fit lens hood doesprovide aphysical barrier tohelp keep your fingers out of shot – user error of course – but it is something to watchout for. Thehooddoes not click- lock into position so it can twist while on the lens, so watch for this, too. The aperture ring has a smooth action and is click-stopped in one- EV steps, so you have to make an educated guess with in-between settings. But this isn’t easy because, unusually, the gaps between each f/stop are not evenly spaced and starting from f/2 get progressively narrower. So, for example, if you want to set a mid-aperture value between f/2.8 and f/4 that is easy, but it’s not possible between f/11 and f/16. Of course this is not a big issue at all, but it is unusual. Optically, I thought that this lens delivered. The shots here were taken with anOMDE-M5Mark II shooting Raws that were processed in Lightroomwith default sharpening. Central sharpness was very impressive through the aperture

Central sharpness was very impressive through the aperture range

and you can see improvements from f/2.8 onwards, reaching a peak at f/5.6 and f/8. Green fringing is evident towards the edges at all apertures, but this is minor and nothing to worry about, and easily curable in software. There is barrel distortion and this is really evident when shooting a building square on. It can be readily corrected in post processing but this might be an issue if you intend using JPEGs straight out of camera. F/5.6 is the best aperture for across-the-frame sharpness and the only reason to stop down further is if you want evenmore depth-of-field. All round, I think this lens delivers a fine optical performance, especially at its wide- to mid-aperture settings; images are lovely and sharp and with good contrast. Watch the barrel distortion though. WC

range with the exception of the two smallest settings. F/22 showed the effects of diffraction and gave noticeably softer shots, and while f/16 suffered from diffraction as well, quality was still good. Those settings aside, the central images within the f/2-11 range gave crisp, contrasty shots, and with some help from unsharp mask in processing my test shots looked great. There is a benefit to shooting at f/5.6which is just about the optimum aperture value. The differences aren’t massive, so if the light levels mean you need to shoot at f/2 or f/2.8 don't worry about the central section of the image because it will be sharp. Checking out the edges and corners shows the benefit to picture quality of stopping down. To be fair, edge quality isn't too bad at f/2 but fine detail is a little less well resolved

Images The Laowa 7.5mm has an extremely wide angle of view, and this means you have to be careful not to includes bits of yourself or your shadow. It’s easily done.

F/2

F/2.8

F/4

F/5.6

Verdict

Laowa’s 7.5mmultra-wide lens is lovely, offering a compelling combination of usability, great looks and fine optical performance. Its focal lengthmight be too wide for some, but I am a fan of ultra-wides and the dramatic images that you can shoot with them. For the money, this lens is top value and a ‘must look’ for all Micro Four Third owners.

F/8

F/11

F/16

F/22

Pros Small, looks, fine optical performance Cons Hood doesn’t lock, aperture ring design, barrel distortion