Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens review: It's sharp...in the right hands

Laowa is a dab hand at creating unusual lenses and the Laowa 105mm f/2 STF lens is a case in point. It's one of the very few lenses that features an apodisation element.

The weighty metal lens features two diaphragms, one your regular f/stop aperture and another a T stop aperture (apodisation element) halfway up the barrel. In this case, the element is labelled Smooth Transition Focus (STF).

STF creates images with extra smooth out-of-focus areas while keeping the area in focus particularly sharp. It is THE selling point of the lens and the results are wonderful. When using the T Stop aperture wide open, you get perfectly circular bokeh with next to no chromatic aberrations (fringing). 

It's impressive stuff and for the quality of images possible out of this lens, its RRP of £750 is very reasonable.

But, and it's a big but, this is a manual focus lens only. 

I don't mind manual focus lenses, in fact I rather like taking manual control. But there are lens focal lengths and subjects that really benefit from autofocus and this is one of them.

Throughout testing the lens my hit ratio of sharp shots was much lower than I would like. Even with the large Nikon D850 viewfinder at my disposal and live view focus magnification, it's exceptionally difficult to obtain pin sharp focusing on the eyes at f/2.

In the end, I resorted to manual focus bracketing. Taking the same shot around 5 times in quick succession while making micro adjustments to focusing. That way I could ensure one of the shots was pin sharp on the eyes and discard the rest. 

One other downside is that lens flare is a bit of a problem. I like to shoot towards the light for backlit portraits. Yet, when doing this the chances of substantial lens flare are higher than normal - I got a few shots that were totally unusable.

Otherwise, the image quality and control over lens distortion is top notch.

All being said, I enjoyed the precision required of me to get images that I am happy with. I may have numerous slightly blurry images in the review gallery, but this lens has sharpened me up.

Check out Photography Blog for the full review. 

Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens review

We are seeing an increasing number of lens manufacturers making what are very good alternatives to the brand lenses. China based company Laowa is one of these relatively new players in the lens world.

In some cases, the lenses made by these companies are better and/ or offer something that is not available elsewhere. The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens is a case in point.

It's a tiny and well built manual focus lens designed for micro four thirds cameras (M43) - that is Olympus and Pansonic compact system cameras (CSCs).

There is no rectilinear M43 lens available that is as wide and fast. Those that come close are expensive wide-angle zoom lenses that are twice the price, size and weight. As such, the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 is clearly aimed at astrophotographers, as well as for architecture and landscapes. 

The lens delivers where it counts most, in its excellent image quality. Pictures are sharp and there is impressive control over distortions that are so common in ultra-wide angle lenses, especially chromatic aberrations. 

The fast f2 aperture is advantageous for astrophotography - M43 cameras typically suffer in low contrast light so any further light intake improves image quality.

Another bonus especially for landscape photographers and filmmakers is that the lens accepts threaded filters, which is unusual for such a wide angle lens. 

Before you say Shut up and take my money, there are the downsides, mainly the handling.

I found its controls a little too tiny - the lens cap/ lens hood and aperture ring are all fiddly to manoeuvre.

It's manual focus only and it's very hard to see what is in focus because of the wide angle. As such, live view focus magnification becomes essential for accurate focusing. 

The lens is not weather sealed either. 

All being said, the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens serves a niche audience very well indeed. Nothing is as wide or fast. Its images are sharp and its price at just under £500 is reasonable. 

To read more about the lens, please visit Photography Blog for my full review. Images below are all taken with the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens, attached to an Olympus OM-D E-M1.