Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

Laowa
73 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.

Panasonic
85 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

82 out of 100 high confidence 31 reviews

The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens is widely praised for its compact size, sharp image quality, and minimal distortion, making it a favorite for landscape, architecture, and real estate photography. Users appreciate its wide field of view and solid build, though some note vignetting at wide apertures and a few report sample variation or infinity focus issues. Overall, it offers excellent value for an ultra-wide manual lens, especially for APS-C cameras.

Pros
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Sharp image quality
  • Minimal distortion (Zero-D)
  • Wide field of view
  • Solid build quality
Cons
  • Vignetting at wide apertures
  • Infinity focus inconsistency
  • Sample variation (sharpness)
  • Manual focus only
  • High price for some
👍 Image quality 12
👍 Build quality 8
👍 Distortion 7
👎 Vignetting 5
🤔 Value for money 6
👎 Focus issues 4

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.

88 out of 100 medium confidence 10 reviews

The Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 lens is highly praised for its versatility, image quality, and value, especially as an all-around zoom for L-mount cameras like the Leica SL and Panasonic S series. Users consistently highlight its excellent stabilization, macro capabilities, and weather sealing, though some note it is not the sharpest at pixel level and the OIS switch can be soft. Overall, it is seen as a practical, lighter alternative to the Leica 24-90, with many calling it a go-to lens for both photo and video.

Pros
  • Excellent image stabilization
  • Great macro capabilities
  • Weather-sealed build
  • Versatile 24-105mm focal range
  • Constant f/4 aperture
Cons
  • Not the sharpest at pixel level
  • Soft OIS switch
  • Slightly slower autofocus than kit lens
  • Heavy for some users
  • Large lens bag included
👍 Image quality 8
👍 Image stabilization 5
👍 Macro capability 5
👍 Build quality 4
🤔 Weight and size 5
👍 Autofocus performance 4

Scores

Macro
Laowa
82
Panasonic
89
Budget
Laowa
64
Panasonic
83
Professional
Laowa
75
Panasonic
80
Video Cinema
Laowa
66
Panasonic
80
Portrait
Laowa
78
Panasonic
79
Landscape
Laowa
60
Panasonic
76
Street
Laowa
75
Panasonic
67
Travel
Laowa
63
Panasonic
68
Wildlife Sports
Laowa
49
Panasonic
67

Specifications

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mmPanasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min9 mm24 mm
Focal Length Max9 mm105 mm
Elements1516
Groups1013
Aspherical Elements24★
ED Elements34★
CoatingFrog Eye Coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/4
Min Aperturef/2.8f/4
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountNikon ZL-Mount
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.21 kg★1.18 kg
Filter Thread49 mm77 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typemanual focus onlyAuto Focus
Stabilization✗✓★
Stabilization Stops—6 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance120 mm★300 mm
Max Magnification1:7.71:2

Pros & Cons

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

  • Strong macro (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong build (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong optical (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.

  • Strong stabilization (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong optical (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong versatility (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong bokeh (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Below average build (24th percentile)

Verdict

★ Winner: Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S.

Scores 85 overall, wins 7 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm Better at:

Street

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. Better at:

MacroBudgetTravelLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports