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Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye
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Laowa · f/2.8 · Nikon Z mount

Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye

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Mount
KEY FACTS
BrandLaowa
Release Year2025
Production StatusIn Production
Lens MountNikon Z
SystemNikon Z
What We Like
+Unique zoom fisheye for mirrorless systems—only fisheye zoom ever made for mirrorless and fastest fisheye zoom ever made
+Dual fisheye effect in one lens: circular at 8mm (180°) and rectangular at 15mm (~175°) without changing lenses
+Constant f/2.8 aperture throughout zoom range enables excellent low-light performance and astrophotography
+Exceptional close focus of 16cm (6.3 inches) with 0.23x magnification enables creative macro-style distortion
+Solid all-metal construction with smooth, tactile manual controls and excellent build quality
+Competitively priced at $699—roughly half the cost of discontinued Canon/Nikon DSLR fisheye zooms and available for modern mirrorless mounts
Worth Knowing
−No autofocus, no electronic contacts, and no EXIF data recording—fully manual operation requires careful focus confirmation
−No weather sealing or optical image stabilization despite all-metal build
−Sharpness at 15mm requires stopping down to f/5.6–f/8 for edge-to-edge crispness; off-center subjects blur at f/2.8
−Harsh, soap-bubble bokeh with specular highlights; awkward-looking intermediate focal lengths (9–14mm) between the two practical extremes

General

Brand
Laowa
Release Year
2025
Production Status
ⓘ
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
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.
Nikon Z
System
ⓘ
Indicates which camera system the lens is designed to attach to.
Nikon Z
Maximum Format
ⓘ
Largest sensor size compatible with the lens.
Full Frame
Read our notes on general
The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye is a full-frame lens that combines the characteristics of two distinct fisheye types in one: circular and rectangular—the only fisheye zoom ever made for any mirrorless system and the fastest fisheye zoom ever made. With a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout its 8-15mm zoom range, it provides outstanding low-light performance and creative flexibility, excelling in challenging conditions like astrophotography, indoor settings, or evening shoots. The lens is impressively sharp, even wide open—especially at the wider end of its zoom range—with minimal chromatic aberration, offering an extremely close minimum focusing distance and an attractive price for what it delivers. As a fully manual lens with manual focus, manual aperture, and no electronic contacts, it lacks built-in image stabilization and weather sealing, though the construction feels solid with no noticeable wobble.

Physical

Lens Weight
650 g
Lens Diameter
ⓘ
Width of the lens at its widest point
94.5 mm
Lens Length
ⓘ
How long the lens is from front to back.
76.4 mm

Optics

Focal Range
ⓘ
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
8–15 mm
Aperture Range
ⓘ
Largest aperture at the lens's shortest focal length to longest focal length (aperture range start - end)
2.8
Blades
ⓘ
Number of diaphragm blades in aperture
9020
Zoom Lens
ⓘ
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
Yes
Closest Focusing Distance
ⓘ
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
16 cm01500
Autofocus Mode
No

Features

Weather Sealing
ⓘ
Weather sealing capabilities will give you more confidence when shooting in unfavourable conditions.
No