Venus Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL

Leica M-Mount

Review

The Venus Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL is a unique ultra-wide-angle lens designed for full-frame Leica M mount cameras. This lens stands out in the market due to its impressive field of view, compact design, and exceptional optical performance.

One of the most notable features of the Laowa 11mm f/4.5 is its ultra-wide perspective that enables photographers to capture expansive landscapes, intricate architectural details, and stunning astrophotography without the need for extensive post-production warping. The lens has a remarkable minimum focus distance of just 15cm, allowing for interesting close-up compositions while still delivering a sense of vastness in the background.

The optical construction of the Laowa 11mm f/4.5 is commendable, consisting of 13 elements arranged in 11 groups, including two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion glass elements. This thoughtful arrangement minimizes aberrations and distortion, producing sharp images with vibrant color rendition. The lens also features a pleasing bokeh in the background, attributed to its rounded aperture blades, which can help when shooting subjects at moderate distances.

Although the Laowa 11mm f/4.5 is full of promise, it's not without its drawbacks. The lens is fully manual, meaning that focusing and aperture adjustments must be made without electronic assistance, which may deter some photographers used to the convenience of autofocus systems, especially in fast-paced shooting environments. Additionally, the lens is quite bulbous at the front, which means that conventional filters cannot be easily applied; however, the included lens hood does provide some protection from flares and unwanted light.

Another consideration is that while the lens excels at sharpness in the center of the frame, it may not be as consistently sharp in the extreme corners, particularly when used at wider apertures, which can be a concern for meticulous landscape photographers.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Outstanding wide-angle perspective ideal for landscapes and architecture.
• Compact and lightweight, making it great for travel.
• Impressive minimum focus distance allows for creative close-ups.
• High-quality build with exceptional optical performance.

Cons

• Fully manual operation may be challenging for some users.
• Difficult to use filters due to bulbous front element.
• Sharpness can drop off at the corners, especially wide open.

Verdict

The Venus Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL offers a compelling option for Leica M mount users seeking an ultra-wide-angle lens with remarkable versatility and solid optical performance. While the manual control can be a hurdle for some and sharpness may vary at the edges, the unique perspectives and creative possibilities this lens provides make it a worthy addition for landscape, architecture, and creative photographers. If you are comfortable with manual shooting and value wide angles, this lens could be just what your kit needs.