Introduction

Photokina in 2016 was the first time I saw the Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D for Sony E-mount, I bought it as soon as it was available and have used it since. Already at that time there was talk about the lens being released for M-mount but it never happened and admittedly I kinda forgot about it.
But what happened at CP+ 2023? We see an M-mount version of the Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D. And for M-mount it might be even more spectacular, pushing the boundaries of the system quite a bit. So let’s see what has changed compared to the Sony version!
Lens is being reviewed on Sony A7rII and Leica M10

Sample Images

You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution here.

Specifications/Version History

The Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D was first released in 2016 for E-mount, versions for Canon RF, Nikon Z and L-mount have been added later. It took until 2023 for an M-mount version to be reIeased though. The M-mount version is the one being reviewed here and it has the following specifications:

• Diameter: 63 mm (74 mm with filter ring)
• Field of view: 110° (diagonally)
• Length: 70 mm
• Weight: 418g (without caps, 428g with filter ring)
• Filter Diameter: 72 mm
• Number of Aperture Blades: 5 (straight)
• Elements/Groups: 12/9
  
• Close Focusing Distance: 0.15 m
• Maximum Magnification: ~1:4.2
• Mount: M-mount

The lens can be bought directly from the manufacturer’s online shop for $649 (affiliate link)

Disclosure

The Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D M-mount was kindly provided free of charge by Venus Optics / Laowa for reviewing purpose for a few weeks.

Handling/Build Quality

The mechanical design of the Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D M-mount is in line with their other M-mount lenses (e.g. the Laowa 9mm 5.6), this means it looks and feels like it is an all metal construction and all the markings are engraved and filled with paint.

The focus ring has perfect resistance and travels roughly 90° from the minimum focus distance of 0.15 m to infinity.
The lens is rangefinder coupled between 0.7 m and infinity and there even is a click-stop at 0.7 m, so you can feel if you leave that range without taking your eye of the rangefinder.

The aperture ring has full-stop click stops and travels ~30° from f/2.0 to f/22. I am happy to report: the click stops are now equidistant, contrary to many other Laowa lenses.
Unfortunately the direction of rotation is the “wrong” one compared to most M-mount lenses.
While on the E-mount version you can de-click the aperture ring, this is not possible here.

For allowing the user to attach normal filters while at the same time keeping the lens as compact as possible a small metal filter ring is part of the package that attaches via a bayonet and gives the lens a standard 72mm filter thread. This was already the case for the Laowa 12-24mm 5.6 and I actually think it is a very smart design decision.

As we are used to from Laowa’s M-mount lenses there are also holes present on the bayonet to add 6-bit coding. You can use these to disguise the Laowa 15mm 2.0 as a Leica lens when used on one of the later Leica M-mount cameras (or on the TTArtisan 6-bit Leica-M to Sony-E adapter).

The Laowa 15mm 2.0 M-mount is similarly sized as the 9mm 5.6. It is a bit smaller and slightly lighter than its E-mount brother.

You can adapt the M-mount version to a variety of other mirrorless cameras and even turn it into an AF lens with the Techart LM-EA9 AF adapter. Be careful though: the Laowa 15mm 2.0 features an internal focus mechanism, so you may want to prefocus the lens manually to get best possible performance out of it.

Vignetting

The small size takes its toll here: especially wide open vignetting is high and stopped down it is still around 2.0 EV. This is still an average performance for a compact ultra wide angle lens as the competition is hardly any better here.

It is recommended to have a look at this article first to get an idea how this brightness graph works.

Sharpness

infinity (42mp Sony A7rII, 24mp Leica M10)

The corner crops have been pushed in post to reveal more details.

On the Leica M10 we see a solid performance. There is only a very small midzone dip and the corners are slightly soft at f/2.0 and f/2.8, this isn’t something that would worry me though, especially considering the alternatives are all noticeably slower to begin with.
Stopped down there really isn’t anything to complain about. I see peak across frame sharpness at f/8.0 but I wouldn’t mind using the wider apertures if needed.

The M-mount users can stop reading here, but there are also some users of different camera systems having a look at these reviews, so what follows is aimed at those.

When comparing this new M-mount version to the old E-mount version we see clearly better corner performance of the E-mount version when used on an E-mount camera. This is actually how it should be, as it means optical adjustments have been made for the M-mount version to perform best on an M-mount camera with a thinner filter stack.
If you are using an E-mount camera I would recommend to stick to the E-mount version of this lens.

close 0.15m, 1:4.2 (42mp Sony A7rII)

With the minimum focus distance of just 0.15 m you can get really close to your subject and in this case I mean so close you are actually shading the subject with your lens.
In the center the performance is good from f/2.0, but stopping down to f/2.8 leads to a visible gain in contrast.
Towards the borders the resolution never reaches levels as good, not even on stopping down considerably, as is the case for most close focusing ultra wideangle lenses (except for the Laowa 15mm 4.0 Macro and 9mm 5.6).

Flare resistance

As always evaluating flare is a complex matter since you can get any lens to look bad if you push it hard enough and a slight change of scenario can affect results a lot.
I have been using the E-mount version of this lens for years and it proved to be a decent albeit not perfect performer in this category.

So the first question I asked myself: does the M-mount version perform the same as the E-mount version?
At first sight the coatings of my 7 years old E-mount version and this new M-mount version look differently, so I decided to compare these two versions:

From these two scenes we can see that the flare and artefact patterns are very similar, but not identical. If I had to pick I would say the M-mount version performs a little bit better, but not really enough to make a big difference.

In the end what I wrote about the E-mount version applies here as well: with the sun near the center of the frame there are no problems whatsoever. With a point light source placed near the corner the performance is worse, as small rainbow artefacts in the opposite corner can appear.

Coma

At f/2.0 coma is noticeable, there is a visible improvement on stopping down to f/2.8 (the small light sources already look clean) and from f/4.0 the performance is really good.
In this category the M-mount version performed a bit better than the E-mount version, showing less coma at f/2.8. The differences are not huge though.

For some people the coma correction might not be good enough, but due to the lack of alternatives they will have a hard time finding something better for M-mount.

Over the years I have often used the E-mount version to take pictures of the milkyway and have always been happy with the results, but then I don’t care too much if you can spot a bit of coma in the very corners of the frame.

Distortion

Also the M-mount version of the Laowa 15mm 2.0 is part of Laowa’s “Zero-D(istortion)” lineup. Usually the distortion still isn’t actually zero, but close to that.
There is a correction profile in Lightroom available for the E-mount version that can also be used here, but actually I didn’t feel the need to correct the small remaining lens distortion in any of my pictures, even architecture ones.

Bokeh

With a maximum aperture at f/2.0 and the short minimum focus distance it is possible to create an out of focus background in some scenarios, but this is really limited to close focus scenarios and you need to pay attention to the perspective distortion as well.

This is really limited to close distances, you won’t be able to create a shallow depth of field in full body portrait scenarios:

Sunstars

All the M-mount samples of the 15mm 2.0 feature 5 straight aperture blades leading to distinct sunstars from f/2.8.
There have been two version of the E-mount 15mm 2.0 though: early samples produced before December 2019 feature 7 aperture blades creating very fuzzy sunstars (as shown in my review of the E-mount version), whereas later models also feature 5 straight blades as shown here.
If you want to learn more about sunstars have a look at this article.

Chromatic aberrations

lateral

Lateral CA are on a medium level and can be easily corrected with just one click in e.g. Lightroom.

longitudinal

Classic longitudinal CA (bokeh fringing) are nothing to worry about with this lens. In more extreme scenarios purple fringing can be visible though:

I had to look really hard for a sample where this is visible in all the pictures I took with this lens, so this isn’t something you will regularly encounter.

Conclusion

When the Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D FE for E-mount had been released in 2016 it was a truly unique offering, combining a fast f/2.0 maximum aperture with a very wide 15mm focal length in a compact package. It took until 2021, when Sony released the Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM, for an actual competitor to show up.

Now in the M-mount world there isn’t a lens that comes even remotely close. We have a few fast 21mm lenses, but in the 15mm range the fastest lens is the super expensive Zeiss ZM 15mm 2.8 Distagon. The next best things are the Laowa 14mm 4.0 M, Leica 16-18-21mm 4.0 Tri-Elmar, the Zeiss ZM 18mm 4.0 Distagon and then the Voigtländer 15mm 4.5 lenses. They are all a long way from f/2.0. And they don’t really perform better at shared apertures.

I always like to see lenses that push the boundaries of a system and this is clearly the case here. But the Laowa 15mm 2.0 is not a lens that just sounds good on paper, it also has very good optical performance and a great mechanical design: all metal casing, equidistant click-stops on the aperture ring, click-stop at 0.7 m on the focus ring, holes for 6-bit coding the lens. It is really surprising that the aperture ring turns in the “wrong” direction compared to most M-mount lenses though.

After 7 years the E-mount version is still the lens I pick for landscape astrophotography and whenever I need an ultra wide angle lens in dimly lit environments where I cannot use a tripod. And now M-mount users have this option, too.

The lens can be bought directly from the manufacturer’s online shop for $649 (affiliate link)

Alternatives

M-mount

Zeiss ZM 15mm 2.8 Distagon:
There is no other 15mm lens as fast as f/2.0, so this Zeiss ZM 15mm 2.8 Distagon is the next best thing. I did not yet get a chance to use this lens personally, so I am not sure how they perform with regards to optical performance.
What I can tell you is that the Zeiss lens is heavier and way more expensive.
In tradition of the Contax-G 16mm 8.0 Hologon this is the only ZM lens that is actually made in Germany.
buy from B&H | ebay.com (affiliate links) for $4750 (new)

Laowa 14mm 4.0 M:
Laowa also offers a slightly cheaper and slower 14mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/4.0. It shares the nice build quality, but the optical performance of our review sample wasn’t all that great. It is still possible there are better samples of this lens out there. This is one of the cheapest ultra wide angle lenses for M-mount, make sure you are happy with the non-removable lens hood though.
buy from manufacturer’s homepage | B&H | eBay.com (affiliate links) for $499

Voigtländer VM 15mm 4.5 Super-Wide-Heliar Mark I/II and III:
If speed is not that important to you these are still interesting options. Mark I and II have issues with color cast on M9/M10 series cameras but they are significantly smaller whereas Mark III has less issues with color cast but is of similar size as this Laowa lens while being much slower.
Thesee lenses also feature rather annoying non-removable lens hoods.
buy Mark I/II used from ebay.com | ebay.de (affiliate links) for $300+ or Mark III new from B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de | amazon.com for $799

Leica 16-18-21mm 4.0 Tri-Elmar:
I bought this lens but only used it shortly before returning it due to it being more decentered than I can accept for such a high price tag. As it generally didn’t really overwhelm me I also didn’t bother looking for a better sample. It is best at its wide end but I don’t see it outperforming this Laowa 15mm 2.0, especially not at shared apertures.
buy new from B&H | amazon.com for $6500 or try to find a used one on ebay.com | ebay.de starting at $4000 (affiliate links)

E-mount

Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D FE:
I know some of you are tempted to get the M-mount version to be able to use it on different camera systems or even turning it into an AF lens with the help of the Techart LM-EA9 AF adapter, but the E-mount version is actually optimized for Sony’s thicker sensor filter stack, so it does perform visibly better in some areas, especially infinity corner sharpness at wider apertures.
buy from manufacturer’s online shop | amazon.com | B&H | amazon.de (affiliate links) for $649

Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM:
The Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM was released in 2021 and is pretty much Sony’s answer to the Laowa 15mm 2.0. The Sony lens is similarly compact but does not offer a filter thread –  and it is way more expensive. I haven’t used this lens personally yet and the existing reviews don’t paint a fully clear picture to me, so I am not quite sure how these two lenses compare in detail, I plan on finding out soon though.
buy from amazon.com | amazon.de | B&H | ebay (affiliate links) for $1598

Sample images

You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution here.

Further Reading

• The man behind the lens: Dayong Li (Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D)
• All Leica M-mount reviews
• Technical Knowledge
• How to take better pictures?

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BastianK

My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f/0.95 to a 200mm f/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.

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