A Wide Angle Lens That Does Macro! Laowa 15mm Review

[@LaowaByVenusOptics]

Thank you so much for reviewing our lens!

[@unbroken1010]

So the email is built for full frame but if I use it on an a6000 it becomes a 30 does it hold up try to be honest

[@BlackestBeard]

I can't say enough how amazing it is to find a new lens from a manufacturer you've never heard of it really does bring a new "angle" to any project you may have had in mind. Thanks for helping me fill up my camera bag with new unheard of (at least to me) gear and lenses . 🤘

[@buyingonabudget1916]

Gotta give a big thumps up to Laowa, giving us some interesting unique lens. The price is not bad as well. One of the most innovative Chinese Lens Company imo.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

I would agree! They make some wild optics that do things I've never seen before.

[@Envisionenactenjoy]

Have you got hold of their 24mm probe lens?

[@RobbieMaynardCreates]

I have wanted this lens for a year or so now.. This made me want it more. Great comprehensive review!

[@TheCrowleyCrew]

On your notification squad. Love your Videos and Live Streams yours is the best channel for lighting. Thanks Caleb.

[@tarasshevchenko8917]

Caleb, thank for acquainting us with this lens. Great review. This lens is definitely an amazing multi-purpose tool.

[@tombuck]

I’ve never seen a lens like this, it’s awesome. I would LOVE an ultrawide macro.

[@AlessandroGrilliFilms]

OMG when you touched the white flower with the lens I started laughing like crazy, it just looked hilarious

[@thatjordandrake]

I adore this lens, so glad you featured it!

[@DroiMedia]

Been looking at this lens for a couple months now - great review!

[@SkateEverythingProject]

This would be amazing for real estate photography/video for the viewing angle and ability to correct lines!!

[@tristanking6684]

Skate Everything Project exactly

[@CJamesPhoto]

I am seriously wanting one of these, and seeing how it works with video is just awesome! Lucky you 😁

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Glad to have been of service!

[@GozaProductions]

I'll sell ya mine 450 bucks. Lol.

[@Superbustr]

It is very difficult to get diopters for wide angle lenses for close up shots due most wide angle lenses not having filter threads and having a protruding element. This lens essentially solves the issue of not being able to use diopters by building the close focus capability straight into the lens. I would say that this is Laowa's best lens they have made.

[@bwashmedia]

I got so many ideas for perspective affects using this lens. Will have to see if it mounts on Canon to.

[@jamskof]

affects is effects and to is too. ;)

[@gabrielmachadobsb]

Ok, you made me fall in love with this lens. I'll definitely pick one when I have the cash

[@lunatic4861]

That lens is just... wow

[@JamesN.Gillan]

Could be exactly what l need for architectural and interior photography. Excellent channel, thought I would leave you a comment, as I enjoy your informative videos. Look forward to the next one!

[@DRAMAFLS_official]

Always solid content

[@Blackbirddc]

This lens is insane! I never would have even given this lens a second look if you hadn't shared what it can do. Now I neeeed it! Haha

[@WALKITOFFDavidSmith]

I've trying to decide between the Laowa 12 and 15mm for my real estate photography work on my Sony a7iii. I think you just sold me on the 15mm. The lens seems insane and versatile!. Thanks

[@Painfulwhale360]

David Smith is this a good choice for real waste photography????

[@WALKITOFFDavidSmith]

@@Painfulwhale360 "Real waste"? lol. I just got the lens 3 days ago and did my first commercial real estate shoot with it yesterday. They were only exterior shots but they turned out very well. I'm happy with the lens and loving the pairing with the a7iii. Thanks again for your review. It really helped me.

[@Painfulwhale360]

David Smith Real Estate* haha I appreciate the feedback!

[@Ry311GP]

Awesome lens. I have the 12mm F2.8 Zero D. So glad you are reviewing this. Ry from Dubai.

[@MrRobCampbell]

Great video Caleb! I’ve been wondering about this lens. Thanks for the review.

[@mangoldm]

Now I want to try extension tubes on my Rokinon 12mm.

[@Nesrasgado]

I kinda can do the same with my rokinon 7.5mm f3.5. Bad thing is you really need good lighting.

[@serristori]

Thanks. Your video sold me on buying this lens.... ❤

[@ColinBloodworth]

This is insane. What a cool lens.

[@NYC2SOCAL2024]

Guaranteed to be on backorder by tomorrow because Calib loves it. I'm still on the list at a few places to get that Apature F7 LED light.

[@Eat_More_Possum]

I almost bought this lens but went with a refurbished Tokina 10-17MM to save money. Both are recommended by Thomas Shahan and provide very similar results.

[@NoahPetek]

Dude, Macro and Tilt shift? How???????? That‘s awesome (like your videos😊👍)

[@beckykuperstein]

Great review! I just purchased one for my full frame Sony. For the filters, will there be vignetting with a 77 mm filter? Or should I use and 82 with a step up ring?

[@Solveiga555]

i love love looove your review videos :), thanks so much for that

[@NetvoTV]

What's the differences between this and the Laowa 15mm F4.5 dedicated shift lens that has a bulb lens in front, that one shift more? But I'm glad this macro version has shift too, I am just a hobbyist photo and videographer and just what to take creative shots, I think this one give more creative use for lower price too and more versatile! Right?

[@EddieBarba]

whats your opinion on this lens VS The Laowa 15mm f/2 FE Zero-D

[@vegetablepolice]

Would love to see a vlog test with this lens, seems perfect ;)

[@jamskof]

not so great as this is a manual focus lens.

[@jacobc1567]

What a nice lens. I've been wanting to get a wide angle lens. I just might have to pick this one up.

[@TrailFeatures]

Oh man! That's so cool! Though, do you think this would be worth looking at for a GH5 + SB? I worry the crop factor would really diminish the impact of the wide view.

[@tomdchi12]

I was wondering the same thing. Does the tilt mode play well with a "speed booster" when tilted? Going from a 30mm equivalent on M43 to more like a 21mm equivalent gets you back into pretty darn wide angle with shift.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

I used it with a SB and had no issues!

[@TrailFeatures]

DSLR Video Shooter awesome! I'll have to keep an eye on this then. That could give me some AMAZING product and establishing shots.

[@Bezstopy]

wow, flower touching the lens it so surreal :D thanks for insight.

[@GustavoArceMusic]

how heavy is the lens? compare with rokinon 14mm 2.8

[@sosomelodies659]

Awesome review! I'm definitely getting this lens.

[@selfishmuffin4793]

Is it bad that I prefer standard macro at 2:20?idk I hope it's just the type of photography that's in my mind and that I don't have a bad eye

[@hindesite]

At 0:53 you describe the lens as tilt/shift, this is AFAIK incorrect, this is shift only. I see also several comments similarly confused. While both tilt and shift are movements, they are used for totally different purposes.

[@hoggif]

That's interesting one. If only it had more shift I'd grab one instantly for GH5 + speed booster. I find 6mm shift a bit limiting, you'd need 12mm to get level horizon in the middle of the frame to the bottom. If it had tilt, I could find the compromise reasonable but no tilt. I'm still looking for a wide angle tilt shift for GH5.

[@stevenbaltz9812]

I don't see this in a M43 mount, which is fine. What do you think about this with a metabones speed booster ultra to retain as much wide angle and aperture as possible? I would mount this on a Lumix G9.

[@bwallace936]

Much obliged for the videos Caleb! But my brain and eyes are hurting from all my research, so could you just say if this in addition to a Fujifilm XT-3, as I researched is the lightest, would be a spectacular macro combo? Ultimately silence and weight being the most important factors. That thing looks minuscule!

[@AndreaLeganza]

Have one of them on my D810, couple with a 105 macro and is really fun!

[@aim_qat]

Thank you.. How is it for shooting a video ??

[@yudi.g9544]

Love the dope thumbnail

[@FlyingJackalope]

Hey Caleb, just arrived. I think this is so cool. I cannot, for the life of me, get the shift to work. How hard should it be to make it work? I'm using it on a speedbooster on my GH5. BTW, any filters need to be darn clean to use the macro or you'll have a lot of stuff showing up in the shot. So much fun.

[@mfgonz]

Caleb!! please do a review on their top lenses, ive been struggling to choose between this or the 12mm zero d, and then ALL OF THE OTHERS!! they just seem so great but also very familiar to each other (as they have a few that are repeated lengths) any thoughts?

[@RunningStillsProductions]

Hey there, if you were shooting stopmotion, would you rather use the laowa 15mm or the 24mm probe?

[@tristanking6684]

Thanks for this I definitely will check it out and get it for my t6

[@jonathanmasters2178]

Probably buying this lens because of this review

[@TheCrowleyCrew]

When is the M50 Guide coming?

[@oshead]

"When have you seen anything like this before." David Attenborough program about ants. It's pretty nice effect.

[@Albanez39]

Thanks for saying centimeter instead of 1/3 of an inch.

[@ConstantinSPurcea]

Love the review but I have to say this little thing that bugs me... I hate when people complain about "lens breathing." If you know anything about what focal length means you'd know that 15mm is infinity focus (which is the distance from the sensor to the lens, or with correction optics it can be at a flange distance for SLR cameras) and the more you extend a lens the closer it focuses, thus you also changed the focal length which because of physics changes the field of view too. First world problems.

[@user-zu8nc9rc9k]

Focus breathing is a serious issue for filming as it becomes very distracting. This is why cinema lenses are designed to have little to no breathing.

[@ursidaestudio]

That intro is even more amazing with earphones! Great lens, might be a great option.

[@GregsGarage]

Looks awesome. How far away can it focus?

[@youareinvitedbyGod]

What a great lens! I'm buying it right now. 😄😎

[@chribbitsch]

Could you try this with the GH5 and speedbooster? Should be around 21mm with the crop and 0,71x. Been looking at the 7,5mm for MFT but the closest focus range is a bit long

[@Eightpspi]

Just added to my wishlist

[@TheMinuteman1964]

been looking at the 7.5mm f2 for MFT mount.

[@TOKYObrah]

Does it work with a speedbooster and GH5?

[@snaprmedia1443]

TOKYObrah I am using it on my GH5 with Metabones Speed Booster -Cannon EF with no issues. I shoot interior wide angle shots, and the tilt-shift allows you to get more of the ceiling or floors in the frame given the client's shots most have ever seen before.

[@bohdandoval9621]

@@snaprmedia1443 got any sample footage?

[@asandovalhatchet]

WOW. that's close lol Great video!

[@bryanlittle4647]

Dude, I was sold on the first 10 seconds.

[@mike0rr]

I was a little disappointed on the tilt not being actual tilt shift, but I've never had an item shoot to the top of my, "to buy" list so fast. Getting this withing the next 2 weeks for sure. I don't really shoot video, mostly just a macro photographer and I mush have shouted, "This is INSANE" like 5 times at least. I love my Tokina 100mm but I want a different flavor of lens in my bag and this is it. I'm so excited, even if the bugs are mostly gone till spring... (Typing this mid November).

[@mike0rr]

I wont forget to use the link either : )

[@alantay9409]

Awesome review! Thanks for sharing.

[@robertbrown4563]

Why did you go with the Canon EF mount instead of the Sony E?

[@Pierrelager]

Another super great video :) Thanks !

[@nyambe]

Love the look of your videos. Why the a7iii and not the GH5? because of the Sony mount laowa lens? I have been debating between the two cameras. Can you make them look similar?

[@JoshuaFortuna]

Whoa! At 3:00 the flower touches the 4th wall! 🤯

[@JosH-oo2en]

Its a beatiful lens, have you seen the mitakon’s looks ver y good too

[@reemsbodyguard]

is that commlite adpater comparable to the metabones? what is your experience?

[@Sronpop]

Great video, laowa have some super interesting lenses, lack of distortion is crazy. Have my Samyang 14mm which has me happy on the extreme wide end but I'm very tempted! Btw I always mean to ask you but what's the song at the top and tail of your videos?

[@omarcorrea]

what mic are you using Caleb? I've never heard of this brand of lens, I'll have to check it out and look forward to the cine lenses.

[@recipiend5711]

Omar Correa its dynamic mic

[@frostvisto9610]

Great for architecture

[@2010kevinsmith]

How does this compare to the Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Z? 15mm is wide for full frame, but not as much for cameras like the a6500. Thoughts? :-)

[@CrazyAboutLife]

Wow thats just amazing!

[@ckmoon17]

Very Cool! Def getting one!

[@Muniraalkharaz]

Hello is this lens works on sony A6400 ? Or no and if yes do I need to attach a adapter?

[@DrewRomano]

notice you have an electronic ef adapter. been looking for a good alternative to metabones. that any good?

[@CRMayerCo]

Very interesting, Caleb. Thanks.

[@12345stronger]

I have this lens! I love it sooo much!!😁

[@rondo221]

Do you have any info on the 28mm f/2 that you mentioned.. you say you "love that lens." got a review of it anywhere?

[@Splendiddddd]

looks nice, but for now i will keep my modified canon 10-18 stm on a speedbooster @ 12mm, f3.2 really wide, sharp and also does macro ;-) The most underated lens ever. did i mention its got IS? great review though! really like the shift function.

[@manuelbarajas4517]

would a lens converter affect the Macro capabilities of this lens? I'd like to buy this lens for my sony a7iii with the mc11 adapter.

[@vlinnus]

I wonder can Laowa 15mm f2 provide the same focus distance?

[@Mafr0]

Whoa, I'm sold!

[@colin_rootz]

Thanks Caleb!

[@TerenceKearns]

AMAZING! I want this.

[@mohitthapa2265]

I use the canon 500D closeup filter on my Nikon 17-35 for similar effect.. no shift though..

[@dekahobby]

So.. better buy with EF mount? To adapt with other fullframe lens? Right now im using sony a7.. and im new with camera, can you explain why? Thanks

[@ericpaulgoldie]

New to the channel, epic video. Thank you! p.s. the lens is amazing! Tilt-shift and ma cro! WTF!

[@LegionOfWeirdos]

VERY nice. I'd REALLY have to want a macro lens to spend five bills on it though 😀

[@mattybcool]

Is it available for micro four thirds? Or does Laowa have some kind of adapter?

[@bohdandoval9621]

So it says the minimum focus distance is 4.72" in the specs. How are you focusing closer than that?

[@smeghead61]

Extension tube? on any wide angle?

[@weightlessfilms5651]

I'm curious how this stacks up against the Rokinon 14mm T3.1

[@bennyrodriguez8788]

Will I need an adapter for this len? I’m using the GH5

[@GaryPopejr]

Man...I was just in the market for a wide E-mount lens and I went with the Sigma 16mm f1.4. I'd be all over this lens if it wasn't an f4, maybe down the line when I can get specialty lenses I may grab this.

[@peoplez129]

If it wasn't F4, it'd be bad for macro because of the depth of field.