CameraReview
Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF II
UNSCORED
Laowa · 15 mm · Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Leica L, Leica M mount · Full Frame

Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF II

From $399 — 1 offer
KEY FACTS
BrandLaowa
Announcement dateNov 2024
Released2024
Production started2024
Production statusIn Production
What We Like
+Exceptional compactness and portability at just 158g, designed as a pancake-style ultra-wide lens
+Ultra-wide 110° angle of view in a tiny form factor ideal for travel and street photography
+Excellent build quality with clean, sharp optical performance and minimal chromatic aberration
+Excellent sunburst effects with 5-blade aperture (10-stroke sunstars from f/5.6 to f/22)
+Extremely close 12cm minimum focus distance enables creative macro-wide angle compositions
+Affordable at approximately $399-400 with strong value proposition
Worth Knowing
Noticeable wavy distortion not corrected in-camera, requiring software correction for architecture
Significant vignetting (2.6-3.2 EV), which is typical of compact ultra-wide lenses but still substantial
Manual focus only with smooth but low-resistance focus ring that some find inadequate
Slow f/5.0 aperture limits handheld low-light performance without higher ISO settings

General

Brand
Laowa
Announcement date
Refers to the date the manufacturer publicly announced the upcoming release and general specs of this camera.
Nov 2024
Released
Refers to the year this camera was officially made available for sale.
2024
Production started
2024
Production status
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
Read our notes on general
The Laowa 15mm f/5 Cookie FF is a remarkable compact ultra-wide-angle pancake lens delivering a 110° field of view in a lightweight 158g package. It offers superb image quality with exceptional build quality, making it an excellent choice for travel and street photographers. However, the lens exhibits noticeable wavy distortion and significant vignetting typical of compact ultra-wide lenses, which may require post-processing correction depending on subject matter.

Optical

Aperture Range
f/5.0 - f/22
Angle of View
110°
Lens Structure
13 elements in 9 groups
Lens Elements
2 aspherical, 4 ED, 3 high refractive index lenses

Focus

Focusing System
Manual focus (MF)
Maximum Magnification
0.2x

Build

Dimensions
53mm diameter x 35.2mm (E-mount)

Features

Image Stabilization
None
Autofocus
No (manual only)
Auto Aperture
Sony FE and Nikon Z versions only

Optics

Min focal length
15 mm
Max focal length
15 mm
Focal range
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
15 mm
Zoom lens
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
No
Blades
Number of diaphragm blades in aperture
5020
Closest focusing distance
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
12 cm01500
Autofocus mode
No

Physical

Front filter size
Diameter of attachable filters.
39 mm
Lens weight
158 g
Maximum format
Largest sensor size compatible with the lens.
Full Frame
Lens mount
The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras.
Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Leica L, Leica M