Venus Laowa 8-15mm F2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye

The Venus Laowa 8-15mm F2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye is a manual focus fisheye zoom for full frame mirrorless cameras with a constant f/2.8 aperture. It is offered for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Leica L and Fujifilm GFX, and it was announced in June 2025. Laowa describes it as a lens for expansive landscapes, astrophotography, action footage and 360 degree panoramas, and it targets photographers who want both a full circle fisheye and a frame filling one in a single lens.

Optical design

The lens has 13 elements in 9 groups and 9 aperture blades. At 8 mm it gives a circular image with a 180 degree angle of view on full frame. Zooming to 15 mm lets the image fill the frame, and the angle of view narrows to about 175 degrees according to Laowa. The aperture stays at f/2.8 through the zoom range and closes to f/22. The maximum magnification is 0.23x at the minimum focus distance of 16 cm.

Focusing and handling

Everything is manual: focus, zoom and aperture each have their own ring. Laowa lists a focus throw of 70 degrees, a zoom throw of 75 degrees and an aperture throw of 42 degrees, plus a dual scale focus window. The specifications list neither autofocus nor electronic aperture control. A stabilizer is not part of the design.

Build and size

The weight is about 650 g without caps. Laowa gives a length of 94.5 mm for the Canon RF version with a diameter of 76.4 mm, and 101.2 mm for the Fujifilm GFX version. The bulbous front element is typical for a fisheye, and the specifications list no filter thread. Laowa notes that the GFX and Hasselblad XCD versions do not fully cover the sensor even at 15 mm, which suits them to cropped aspect ratios.

Where it fits

Among fisheye zooms in the database, the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM and the Nikon AF-S Nikkor Fisheye 8-15mm F3.5-4.5E ED cover the same focal range for DSLR mounts, but with a slower aperture and with autofocus. For a fixed circular image on APS-C, the Venus Laowa 4mm F2.8 Fisheye is a smaller option, and the AstrHori 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye is a full frame prime alternative.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Constant f/2.8 through the whole zoom range
• Circular and frame filling fisheye looks in one lens
• Minimum focus distance of 16 cm
• About 650 g, compact for a full frame fisheye zoom
• Five mounts, including Fujifilm GFX

Cons

• Fully manual, with no autofocus
• No filter thread listed
• GFX version does not cover the full sensor, according to Laowa
• No stabilizer
• Strong distortion is built into the design and needs a deliberate style

Verdict

The Venus Laowa 8-15mm F2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye is a specialist lens with a fast constant aperture and a modest weight. It fits photographers who work with circular and diagonal fisheye looks and accept manual operation. Focusing is purely manual on all mounts.