Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
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
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.
Pros
- Sharp image quality
- Compact and lightweight
- Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
- Effective optical image stabilization
- Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
- Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
- Not ideal for low light photography
- Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
- Some copies may have quality control issues
- Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
Scores
Specifications
| Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | prime | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 9 mm | 18 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 9 mm | 135 mm |
| Elements | 15 | 16 |
| Groups | 10 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2★ | 1 |
| ED Elements | 3★ | 2 |
| Coating | Frog Eye Coating | — |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | 3.5-5.6 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 7 |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Nikon Z | Sony E |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.21 kg★ | 0.33 kg |
| Filter Thread | 49 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Linear motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 120 mm★ | 450 mm |
| Max Magnification | 1:7.7★ | 0.29x |
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)
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
- Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
Pricing
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm offers 1.6x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 90 overall, wins 7 of 9 usage categories and 2 of 21 specs.
