These two wildly different photos were shot with the same lens. Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 crams two classic fisheye looks into one zoom

A side-by-side comparison shows two different images of a hot air ballon, one with a circular fisheye, one with a rectangular.

Photographers and videographers eyeing fisheye lenses have a big choice to make: circular or rectangular? But the new Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 offers both looks in one optic, creating that black-edged circular image at 8mm but offering the standard rectangular photograph when zoomed in to 15mm.

The new dual fisheye effect lens (not to be confused with the dual fisheye designed for VR creation) will be available in versions for both mirrorless cameras and for cinema cameras as the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Zoom Fisheye or the 18-15mm T/2.9 Zoom Fisheye Cine.

The stills photography variant comes in E, Z, RF, and L mounts and has full-frame coverage.

The cinema variant will be available in the PL mount, with E, RF, Z, L, and Z bayonets available.

(Image credit: Laowa)

(Image credit: Laowa)

(Image credit: Laowa)

At 8mm, the lenses offer a 180-degree perspective, squeezed into a circular image shape.

(Image credit: Laowa)

Zoomed to 15mm, the lens still offers the classic distortion of a fisheye but fills the frame.

(Image credit: Laowa)

(Image credit: A Hao / Laowa)

Laowa calls that versatility “one-of-a-kind.” The lens mixes that versatility with a fast aperture, f/2.8 on the photo version and T/2.9 on the cinema lens. That gives the lens some capability for astrophotography and low light photography and videography.

The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 also boasts a minimum focusing distance of 6.3 inches / 16cm, which will combine the fisheye distortion with some perspective distortion with those close-up capabilities. The lens lacks autofocus, however, and is a manual focus-only lens.

The photo lens is designed from 13 elements in 9 groups, creating an optic that weighs about 22.9oz / 650g and measures about 3.72 inches / 94.5mm long.

The cinema lens carries the same 13-element, nine-group design. The cinema version is slightly lighter and shorter at 20.8 oz / 590g and 2.46 inches / 62.5mm.

(Image credit: Laowa)

(Image credit: Laowa)

The still photo variant retails for $699 in the US and the cinema lens for $1,399. Pricing outside the US has not yet been announced, but converts to roughly £517 / AU$1,077 and £1,035 / AU$2,156.

B&H currently has the still lens available for pre-order for E Mount, RF Mount, L Mount, and Z Mount.

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