Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye Hasselblad XCD

Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye Hasselblad XCD

There are two different types of fisheye lens: the full-frame fisheye, which illuminates the entire scene, and the circular fisheye, which produces a circular image. With the new Laowa fisheye, you can zoom from full-frame to the circular effect. This allows you to create entirely new effects, not only in photos but also in videos. The fast aperture of f/2.8 enables flexible shooting of sweeping landscapes, cityscapes, astrophotography, action sports, and 360° panoramas.

The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Zoom Fisheye is designed for full-frame cameras. It is therefore important to note that when using this lens on medium format cameras, the full angle of view cannot be fully covered at 15mm. The best results with circular distortion are achieved at 10mm.

The constant aperture of f/2.8 across the entire zoom range of 8–15mm delivers outstanding performance, even in low light. It ensures consistent light transmission and is ideal for challenging conditions such as astrophotography, indoor shooting, or evening photography. The shallow depth of field allows photographers to isolate subjects with pleasing background blur, further enhancing the dramatic fisheye effect in portraits or action shots.

With a minimum focusing distance of just 16cm, the lens gives photographers and videographers the ability to capture subjects up close with impressive visual impact. This short focusing distance amplifies the lens's fisheye distortion, resulting in an exceptional angle of view. In addition, the short focusing distance mimics an 'insect eye' effect, creating a playful, almost cartoon-like distortion that makes subjects appear disproportionately large, giving photos and videos a truly unique look.

The lens, with its optical design of 13 elements in 9 groups, is remarkably compact and lightweight. Thanks to this design, it is one of the smallest and lightest fisheye zoom lenses on the market, making it ideal for travel and handheld shooting. Perfect for landscape photographers, vloggers, and drone enthusiasts. Both focus and aperture are manually adjustable.