Handling and Features
Performance
Verdict
Specification

Here we have yet another groundbreaking lens from Laowa Venus Optics, the C-Dreamer 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D for APS-C format. This is a very, very wide lens and to achieve the same field of view we would need something like a 13.5mm lens in 35mm-format terms. This becomes all the more extraordinary when we consider that it is also billed as having Zero-D, that is, zero distortion. So let's have a closer look at how this manual focus lens behaves, and performs, using the Sony Alpha A5100 24mp body.

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Laowa C-Dreamer 9mm f/2.8 ZERO-D Handling and Features

The overall look and feel of the lens suggests high quality, the 215g weight is due to the metal and glass construction, despite this being a very tiny lens indeed. The metal lens hood bayonets into position with good precision. There is no click stop to hold the hood, but the tension is such that it is very unlikely to move out of true in use. Within the bayonet fit of the hood is a standard 49mm filter thread.

The front element is very small with this design and coated with Laowa's FEC (Frog Eye Coating) which repels grease, dirt and moisture. The lens elements are all multi-coated.

The manual focus ring is adequately sized, within the limitations of the overall diminutive size of the lens. The action is not the silky smooth that many manual systems have, but a rougher feel. However, this feel is also consistent and without any tight or loose spots. It is also not too tight, just right for making a balance between ease of use and security that the distance cannot be inadvertently changed. There is a well spaced and clear depth of field scale, which for this lens is really essential.

As regards manual focusing, this is possible with ease if the magnified image is used on the A5100. If the standard display were to be used, then focusing would be pretty much impossible. The depth of field scale can come to our aid though as there is so much DOF to take advantage of. For example, at f/11 depth of field extends from infinity down to about 0.2 metres, or 0.7 feet. A snapshot setting like this enables some amazing camera angles to be employed, which along with the wide field of view suggests some exciting creative possibilities. Focusing is down to 12cm, a maximum magnification of 0.13x, or 1:7.5. Focusing operates in the direction of traditional Nikon or Pentax manual focus lenses.

The aperture ring is smooth in operation and has positive click stops at one stop intervals. The spacing of these is not even, so using half stops is achievable up to f/11, thereafter the spacing being too close to use reliably. The ring operates in the same direction as traditional Canon manual focus lenses.

Optical construction comprises 15 elements in 10 groups, including 2 Aspherical and 3 ED (Extra Low Dispersion). The diaphragm consists of 7 blades.

The lens is available in Fuji X, Sony E and Canon EF-M mounts. The Sony E mount provided for this review fitted perfectly, with no roughness or play whatsoever.

Manual focus in bright outdoor conditions does prove to be something of a problem in that the camera screen is virtually impossible to see clearly. A tripod and black cloth might hark back to the 1800s, but would work very well. However, using the hyperfocal distance on the lens, aided by the DOF scale, a smallish aperture such as f/8 would yield sharp images every time. Composition may still be tricky under the brightest light, but it does work and in duller light things come into their own and the lens is absolutely a doddle to use.

Laowa C-Dreamer 9mm f/2.8 ZERO-D Performance

Centrally, sharpness is excellent at open aperture, f/2.8. It becomes outstanding at f/4 and f/5.6, excellent at f/8 and f/11, very good at f/16 and still good at f/22.

Edge sharpness is not at the same level, being soft at f/2.8, fair at f/4, but crisping up to being very good from f/5.6 through to f/11. Thereafter, diffraction hits and results are only fair at f/16 and soft at f/22.

Of course, ultra-wide lenses are not intended for shooting flat test charts, and at more normal distances and with more normal subjects images certainly look crisp enough.

Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D MTF Charts

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very well controlled, especially at the centre, where it is generally held to less than one-third of a pixel. The edges are also well corrected to well under 1 pixel. In normal use, CA will not be a problem, but in any event, it can be further reduced in software if necessary.

Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Chromatic Aberration Charts

The ZERO-D designation of the lens suggests zero distortion and although we can actually measure -0.59% barrel distortion, this is really an excellent result for such a wide lens.

Flare control is brilliant, and even overtly against the light shots with the sun in the frame do nothing to faze the Laowa lens. Maybe in the most extreme circumstances a small amount of haziness can creep into edges, but it's quibbling and for normal subject matter there is no flare.

Bokeh is hardly the raison d'etre of the ultra-wide lens, but in this case, where out of focus backgrounds can be induced, they are very well reproduced, with excellent, smooth gradation of tones.

Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Sample Photos

Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Aperture range

Value For Money

The Laowa C-Dreamer 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D FE lens is priced at £499. Looking at the tiny optic the first reaction may well be that the price is high for so little, but once we look closely at its features and how they relate to its performance then the VFM equation starts to look more favourable.

So, are there any rectilinear lenses as wide as this for APS-C format? Not that I can see, but there are some lenses that give us 10mm.

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 10-24mm f/4R OIS, £879
Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS, £379
Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS, £699
Voigtlander Heliar 10mm f/5.6 Hyper-Wide, E-mount, £799

So it's really a matter of whether or not we need the 9mm focal length and the f/2.8 aperture, and if we do then the answer is clear. For more options have a look at the Top 15 Best Sony E / FE Mount Lenses or the Top 28 Wide-angle Landscape Lenses.

Laowa C-Dreamer 9mm f/2.8 ZERO-D Verdict

The Laowa lenses as a range are certainly very interesting, sometimes unique and always deliver the goods in terms of performance. Traditional metal construction does mean a higher price, but we have to choose whether the trade-off of quality of results balances out the cost/performance equation. This will obviously be different for different users.

What we get is the widest lens in its class, with a fast, bright f/2.8 aperture, that performs very well indeed.

The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 is a compact, widest in class lens with fast f/2.8 aperture and excellent overall performance.

Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D Specifications

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