Laowa’s Insanely Wide Fisheye Zoom Lens is Muffin-Sized

May 21, 2026

Matt Growcoot

A fisheye photo of a tall brick building with two chimneys is shown on the left; on the right is a close-up of a black Laowa camera lens with detailed markings.

Venus Optics has announced the Laowa 4.5-10mm f/2.8 CF fisheye zoom lens designed for APS-C or Micro Four Thirds cameras that has an incredible 180-degree field of view at the shortest end.

The Laowa 4.5-10mm is compatible with Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, L-Mount, and Micro Four Thirds. It is a manual focus lens and has a constant aperture of f/2.8 all the way through the zoom.

A black fisheye zoom camera lens with focal length markings from 4.5 to 10mm, aperture range from f/2.8 to f/22, and distance scale in meters and feet, displayed against a white background.

A Laowa CF 4.5-10mm F2.8 fisheye zoom camera lens, shown from an angled view, featuring detailed focus and aperture markings on the lens barrel.

While at 4.5mm, the picture will become circular and is so wide that photographers will need to pay attention to their own body parts appearing in the shot. Zooming in will once again fill the frame with a diagonal fisheye lens. Laowa says you can “de-fisheye” the image in post-processing. That apparently gives a wider shot than if taken on a standard 10mm prime.

The new lens is also a parfocal lens, meaning it maintains focus even while zooming, so no need to refocus. This is a handy feature for videographers who can zoom in and out without worrying about refocusing.

Fisheye lens view of a large, brown brick building with tall chimneys, surrounded by modern glass buildings. People play table tennis in a courtyard below under a partly cloudy sky. — Shot on a MFT sensor at 4.5mm. | Photo by Jimmy Cheng

A fisheye lens view of a miniature city scene with roads, cars, buildings, and a pedestrian bridge, creating a circular, distorted perspective of an urban environment. — Shot on an APS-C sensor at around 5mm. | Photo by Kiva Huang

A close-up of a toy ambulance on a model street with "SO CLOSE...!!" text. An inset shows a camera lens photographing the scene, highlighting the miniature setup and realism of the model display.

The CF in the lens’s name stands for Close Focus, and with an incredible 10cm minimum focusing distance, shooters will be able to get ridiculously close to their subject and create an exaggerated perspective.

The lens is exceptionally compact at 68.9 by 59.3mm, and weighs just 338 grams. It is about the same size as a small muffin, making it ideal for travel, handheld shooting, and balancing on a gimbal.

It’s also inexpensive for a camera lens, coming in at just $399. The Laowa 4.5-10mm is available from the Venus Lens website.

Nighttime street scene with several yellow minibuses parked in front of tall apartment buildings with neon signs and storefronts, captured with a fisheye lens for a distorted perspective. — Shot at the 10mm end.

“It transitions smoothly from a dramatic circular fisheye effect at 4.5mm to an immersive diagonal fisheye perspective at 10mm,” Laowa says. “This lens allows for both natural and experimental storytelling, offering an 180° ultra-wide field of view, a constant f/2.8 aperture, and close focusing capability, unlocking limitless possibilities for photography and video creation. Whether you aim to exaggerate motion, amplify emotion, or capture the world through your imagination, this lens is designed to inspire creativity.”

The Laowa 4.5-10mm f/2.8 CF fisheye zoom lens can be found on the Venus Optics website.

Image credits: Laowa