Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm
What Buyers Say
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm
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
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm
The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 lens is widely praised for its excellent optical performance, sturdy yet lightweight build, and fast autofocus. Users highlight its versatility as a workhorse zoom for both photo and video, with particular appreciation for the linear focus mode on compatible cameras. A few note the shallow depth of field is limited due to the Micro Four Thirds system, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.
Pros
- Excellent optical performance
- Sturdy yet lightweight build
- Fast and reliable autofocus
- Versatile zoom range
- Linear focus mode for video
Cons
- Limited shallow depth of field
- Focus-by-wire system not linear
- No built-in gear ring for cine use
- Slight chromatic aberration in high contrast
Scores
Specifications
| Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 9 mm | 12 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 9 mm | 35 mm |
| Elements | 15 | 14 |
| Groups | 10 | 9 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 | 4★ |
| ED Elements | 3★ | 1 |
| Coating | Frog Eye Coating | Nano Surface Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 7 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Nikon Z | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format | APS-C★ | micro-four-thirds |
| Weather Sealed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.21 kg★ | 0.31 kg |
| Filter Thread | 49 mm | 58 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Autofocus |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Stabilization Stops | — | 5 stops★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 120 mm★ | 150 mm |
| Max Magnification | 1:7.7★ | 0.21x |
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 Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm
- Strong stabilization (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong optical (86th percentile)86th %ile
Pricing
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm offers 1.5x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 95 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 22 specs.
