The Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D is a Compact, Ultra-Wide Lens for Leica M
Venus Optics has announced the Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D LM lens for Leica M mount users. The manual focus lens includes rangefinder coupling and promises excellent results for landscape, architecture, interior, street, and astrophotography.
With its 110-degree field of view, the ultra-wide lens can capture large scenes in a single frame. Its large f/2 maximum aperture lends itself well to low-light photography, including night sky and astrophotography.
“With an f/2 large aperture, the lens captivated users with the ability to capture breathtaking astrophotography and stunning long exposure shots. Having a wide-angle lens with such a large aperture helps the photographer to capture vastness night view with ease,” Laowa says.
Despite its expansive field of view, the lens promises close-to-zero distortion thanks to its clever, sophisticated optical design. The lens comprises a dozen elements in nine groups, including two aspherical elements. Thanks to its “Zero-D” design, the lens promises nearly straight lines for interior and architectural photography.
The lens’s minimum focusing distance is just 5.7 inches (15 centimeters), resulting in a 1:4 maximum reproduction ratio. When used on a rangefinder camera, a built-in focus limit reminder “click” alerts users that the focusing range starts at 0.7 meters.
The lens includes five aperture blades and a manual aperture control ring with aperture and depth of field markings. With its five-bladed aperture diaphragm, the lens delivers 10-point sunstars.
While the Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D is a manual lens, it includes electronic contacts to record EXIF data. The lens can become an autofocus lens when used in conjunction with Leica M to Sony E and Leica M to Nikon Z autofocus adapters.
The lens weighs 14.7 ounces (418 grams) and has a 72mm filter thread.
The Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D LM lens is available now for $649 via Venus Optics’ official website and authorized dealers.
This isn’t the first Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D lens. Venus Optics released the same lens for Sony E-mount a few years ago. Read PetaPixel’s Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D Review for the full details on the lens’s performance. The lens is also available natively for Canon RF, L, and Nikon Z mounts.
Image credits: Venus Optics
