Short review of the new Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens for micro 4/3 cameras like Panasonic or Olympus cameras. This Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 ($499 Retail) is one of the smallest, widest lenses you can get for a Micro Four Thirds camera.
The Laowa 7.5mm is super tiny, especially when take in to consideration its f/2 aperture and ultra-wide field of view. Small wide-angle lenses are made possible by the mirrorless designs of Micro Four Thirds cameras. To make the equivalent lens for an DSLR, optical design has to be more complex, as the rear element of the lens will not sit close to the image sensor because of the larger mirror box up top.
The lens is not super sharp from edge to edge at narrower apertures but, it’s well made, and curbs distortion quite well, especially when you consider its size and f/2 design. The Laowa 7.5mm is manual focus only, which can be a plus or minus, depending on whether you’re looking at it as a tool for video or stills. If autofocus isn’t a must, the Laowa 7.5mm will serve your ultra-wide photo shooting needs very well.
Find the Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2 here at a good deal.